jhearne
Buckeye
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,365
Hey guys, this doesn't belong in the Semi-Auto section but keep it here, I talk to you guys the most in this section anyways.
For the longest time I have always had issues with headaches, mild to severe every couple of days at least to every day I'd have one. In High School I played trumpet and would experience a severe pain in my neck, about where it meets my skull and it would last for about 7-10 seconds and go away, though I was straining to play too high of notes for too long. I was lead trumpet and just went on and the problem went away when I went to college and moved to concert band and ultimately stopped playing trumpet and focused on Bass Guitar.
The pain stopped in 2004 when I graduated then, now about 2 years ago the pain has came back and flairs up when I cough or laugh. I can't go see funny movies because the pain is just too intense to be worthwile my time to pay and see it. Sucks because I love comedies. Well I've been going to my local Doc and he thought it was because of stress, at the time I saw him I was going through a divorce and it made some sense. I didn't remember my episodes from high school in band and never thought to make the connection. I went back to my Doc because I tend to get Sinus Infections during the seasonal changes to Fall and Spring. I also reminded him about my neck pains as I've still been getting them with minimal stress levels in my life lately. He had me scheduled for an MRI this Tuesday.
Wednesday (9/23) I got the results and today I got my copy of the pictures and Radiologist report. I have what's called a Chiari Malformation and a Syrinx. Both conditions are rare and the Chiari is congenital, meaning I've had it since birth. The CM went undiagnosed for 23 years and was the cause of my headaches and neck pains. Chiari is where part of your Cerebellum, more specifically the Cerebral Tonsils descend into and through your Foramen Magnum (the hole in your skull where your Spinal Cord meets your Brain Stem). The normal amount to be considered to have a Chiari is 5 millimeters. Mine extends past the FM by 2 CENTIMETERS! This causes the flow of CerebroSpinal Fluid (CSF) to be irregular and obstructed, normally if flows unblocked up and down your spine and into your skull, inside the Dura (a membrane that covers your Brain).
The Syrinx I have is the second problem and more serious issue. It's essentially a Cyst inside my Spinal Cord. Mine is between the C2 and C6 levels of my spine. (see MRI Pictures below) If left untreated the Cyst can grow and cause minor to severe permanent nerve damage and even paralysis, among other unpleasant symptoms I don't show signs of yet. The Syrinx is a more common term for Sryingomyelia. 90% of people with SM also have CM. The other 10% get SM from some sort of trauma to the spine or neck.
I am to go see my local Neurosurgeon to discuss whether or not I need the surgery and from what I've seen, read, and discussed with other Chiari patients, I'm probably going to NEED it. The surgery (this gets a little graphic) consists of mainly the removal of part of the skull around the Foramen Magnum to decompress the Cerebellum in an attempt to restore proper CSF Flow. In some cases the C1 and C2 vertebra are shaved to some degree and sometimes there is a patch grafted to the Dura (this part can lead to more complications as it can become infected or leak)
The GREAT news. This IS NOT life threatening. It's more an obstacle for 99% of people with CM/SM, it can become debilitating, I can become limited in what I can and can't do. I may not be able to fire a firearm again, though I did hear of one paralyzed CM patient (waist down) who does Trap Shooting on a regular basis....so I'm optimistic there. I'll be out of work for a while, up to 3 months just to recover from the surgery and even more in therapy to regain strength in my neck (they cut through the muscles to get to the spine). The main focus of the surgery IMO is to shrink or eliminate the Syrinx. 50% of the patients who undergo the Decompression Surgery see an elimination of the Cyst(s), 45% see it shrink dramatically and the remainder see it's growth and development halted. 80% of the patients surgeries are considered successful, while 20% go on to need repeat surgeries or give up on fixing it and let the disorder(s) run their course.
The BAD news. There's NO CURE. If I do have the surgery, there's a risk that it can get as bad or worse than what I'm experiencing now. If left alone I risk severe nerve damage or paralysis.
Thanks for reading guys, there's more light than darkness in this tunnel I'm in. I'll still be on the forum but I doubt you'll be seeing any How-To's in the future. I have zero qualms against anyone's wish to take on a How-To for the SR9 and post it here for others to see. I know everyone's looking forward to the Ghost How-To but I don't see myself being in a capacity to write up a how-to much less want to go shooting or even be able to purchase the upgrade. Brain Surgery ain't cheap, thankfully I'm almost ready to put my house on the market and I'll have a great deal of financial burden off my shoulders. I'll keep you guys up to date on my condition as it comes.
Here's the best pictures I was able to find of the MRI photos I got today.
The Chiari Malformation is in Yellow and the Syrinx is in Red. The hole for the Foramen Magnum is the Blue line....as to where I understand it to be.
Take care and God Bless,
Josh
For the longest time I have always had issues with headaches, mild to severe every couple of days at least to every day I'd have one. In High School I played trumpet and would experience a severe pain in my neck, about where it meets my skull and it would last for about 7-10 seconds and go away, though I was straining to play too high of notes for too long. I was lead trumpet and just went on and the problem went away when I went to college and moved to concert band and ultimately stopped playing trumpet and focused on Bass Guitar.
The pain stopped in 2004 when I graduated then, now about 2 years ago the pain has came back and flairs up when I cough or laugh. I can't go see funny movies because the pain is just too intense to be worthwile my time to pay and see it. Sucks because I love comedies. Well I've been going to my local Doc and he thought it was because of stress, at the time I saw him I was going through a divorce and it made some sense. I didn't remember my episodes from high school in band and never thought to make the connection. I went back to my Doc because I tend to get Sinus Infections during the seasonal changes to Fall and Spring. I also reminded him about my neck pains as I've still been getting them with minimal stress levels in my life lately. He had me scheduled for an MRI this Tuesday.
Wednesday (9/23) I got the results and today I got my copy of the pictures and Radiologist report. I have what's called a Chiari Malformation and a Syrinx. Both conditions are rare and the Chiari is congenital, meaning I've had it since birth. The CM went undiagnosed for 23 years and was the cause of my headaches and neck pains. Chiari is where part of your Cerebellum, more specifically the Cerebral Tonsils descend into and through your Foramen Magnum (the hole in your skull where your Spinal Cord meets your Brain Stem). The normal amount to be considered to have a Chiari is 5 millimeters. Mine extends past the FM by 2 CENTIMETERS! This causes the flow of CerebroSpinal Fluid (CSF) to be irregular and obstructed, normally if flows unblocked up and down your spine and into your skull, inside the Dura (a membrane that covers your Brain).
The Syrinx I have is the second problem and more serious issue. It's essentially a Cyst inside my Spinal Cord. Mine is between the C2 and C6 levels of my spine. (see MRI Pictures below) If left untreated the Cyst can grow and cause minor to severe permanent nerve damage and even paralysis, among other unpleasant symptoms I don't show signs of yet. The Syrinx is a more common term for Sryingomyelia. 90% of people with SM also have CM. The other 10% get SM from some sort of trauma to the spine or neck.
I am to go see my local Neurosurgeon to discuss whether or not I need the surgery and from what I've seen, read, and discussed with other Chiari patients, I'm probably going to NEED it. The surgery (this gets a little graphic) consists of mainly the removal of part of the skull around the Foramen Magnum to decompress the Cerebellum in an attempt to restore proper CSF Flow. In some cases the C1 and C2 vertebra are shaved to some degree and sometimes there is a patch grafted to the Dura (this part can lead to more complications as it can become infected or leak)
The GREAT news. This IS NOT life threatening. It's more an obstacle for 99% of people with CM/SM, it can become debilitating, I can become limited in what I can and can't do. I may not be able to fire a firearm again, though I did hear of one paralyzed CM patient (waist down) who does Trap Shooting on a regular basis....so I'm optimistic there. I'll be out of work for a while, up to 3 months just to recover from the surgery and even more in therapy to regain strength in my neck (they cut through the muscles to get to the spine). The main focus of the surgery IMO is to shrink or eliminate the Syrinx. 50% of the patients who undergo the Decompression Surgery see an elimination of the Cyst(s), 45% see it shrink dramatically and the remainder see it's growth and development halted. 80% of the patients surgeries are considered successful, while 20% go on to need repeat surgeries or give up on fixing it and let the disorder(s) run their course.
The BAD news. There's NO CURE. If I do have the surgery, there's a risk that it can get as bad or worse than what I'm experiencing now. If left alone I risk severe nerve damage or paralysis.
Thanks for reading guys, there's more light than darkness in this tunnel I'm in. I'll still be on the forum but I doubt you'll be seeing any How-To's in the future. I have zero qualms against anyone's wish to take on a How-To for the SR9 and post it here for others to see. I know everyone's looking forward to the Ghost How-To but I don't see myself being in a capacity to write up a how-to much less want to go shooting or even be able to purchase the upgrade. Brain Surgery ain't cheap, thankfully I'm almost ready to put my house on the market and I'll have a great deal of financial burden off my shoulders. I'll keep you guys up to date on my condition as it comes.
Here's the best pictures I was able to find of the MRI photos I got today.
The Chiari Malformation is in Yellow and the Syrinx is in Red. The hole for the Foramen Magnum is the Blue line....as to where I understand it to be.
Take care and God Bless,
Josh
