Should I Have surgery, or Shouldn't I?

Ok, so it has been over five years since I was diagnosed with brain sagging and my Chiari.  I have been putting getting it corrected for so long, but now, I no longer feel that that is an option.  I am at the point where I feel like I "have" to get it done.  I just hope that I didn't wait too long.

This fall, I plan on making a trip to New York to the Chiari Institute to see if anyone there can help me.  I know there have been changes over the years; I see them, I feel them.  My balance, as I've mentioned before, has really gotten bad.  I have seen a difference in my vision, my dizziness and more.  And the "more", is annoying.

I know I have to do this soon....now, or there may be no chance at all of them fixing these or helping these issues.  I was told a long time ago, that the longer I wait, the less chance there is in making things better....making a difference for me.  I don't remember what that window of opportunity was, but I hope I haven't missed it.

I am going to start being better about posting on my blog.  Especially as I start back to seeing doctors for these issues.  With my very bitter divorce last year, I really didn't go to the doctor.  I was already so burnt out on the whole "doctor, MRI and everything that goes with it" scene, that adding a divorce to my life just seemed like too much.  So I avoided going.  I was simply unable to muster the energy to take care of things with "me" like I used to.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that they can help me.  I am also keeping my fingers crossed that if I go through surgery - this major surgery, that it will make a world of difference for me and it will not have been in vain.

Fingers crossed!

Common Symptoms of an Arachnoid Cyst

There are an array of symptoms that you can have when you have an arachnoid cyst. It can depend where the cyst is located on the brain, as to what type of symptoms you have. However, there are some common symptoms; common to most cysts and they are:

1. Headaches
2. Dizziness
3. Ataxia - lack of muscle control
4. Increased Cranial Pressure- pressure in the head
5. Hydrocephalus (water on the brain)
6. Seizures

There are a number of other symptoms that can occur, and these listed symptoms can vary in degree of severity, depending on how large the cyst is and exactly where it is on the brain.

You may experience:

1. Confusion
2. Sleep apnea
3. Breathing difficulties
4. Problems with speech
5. Nausea/vomiting
6. Papilladema-swelling of the optic nerve due to pressure
7. Trouble swallowing

You may have been diagnosed with the cyst at one point, and not have any symptoms. But if the cyst grows and begins to put pressure on different areas of the brain, you may begin to notice odd symptoms coming on. Typically, the symptoms creep up on you. You may not realize, at first, that anything is really wrong. But as the cyst grows and begins to put more pressure on the different organs of the brain, the symptoms will increase.

If you start to notice odd things happening - neurological symptoms, start writing them down. Now would be the time to start your journal and journal often. Keep records of all your symptoms, when you felt them, how frequent you feel them, and what you were doing when you felt it. Did you have trouble swallowing while eating? Or just sitting there doing nothing but swallowing saliva? Did you lose your balance just standing there? Or while doing an activity that might be common to cause loss of balance. Chart everything, and watch the pattern develop. This will not only be helpful for you, but your doctor.

Another reason you should keep record and write things down in a timely fashion, is because many people with arachnoid cysts, begin to start to forget things. Your short term memory can be affected. You may also forget how powerful the symptom was at the time, so you will want to chart it while everything about it is fresh in your mind.