Update from doctor appt

We spent 3 1/2 hours with the 2 surgeons today, Dellon and Williams. I did some length testing there before I saw them. The results were pretty wonky as it turns out. I have a 70% loss of function of the left arm, and some on the right but it's not nearly as bad as the other side.

Dellon had a great understanding of Chiari. The 2 docs brought in another lady for her to watch and learn. Dellon drew a pic of the head and brain for her and explained about CSF being obstructed and the potential fatal impact on the brain stem, how it's a dangerous, life-threatening problem.

They feel this surgery will not be nearly as hard for me as all the others I've been through. I'll be admitted to UMH after surgery primarily because the 5 nerves and the muscle they will be messing with runs along a main artery so they want to watch for bleeds, especially with a history of hematomas and such. I'll have a drain as well but it will be removed the next morning.

Dellon asked where we were going to get dinner and drew us a map to his favorite Irish pub, Ryan's Daughter. Ok, so I grew up eating my catch, spoiled by yummy fresh food, as comes with growing up along a river and the ocean. I've got to hand it to this restaurant for having the BEST cod I have ever had in my life.

Unfortunately the snow that started sometime shortly before we woke up this morning picked up speed all day and thanks to DH's drink with dinner, I drove us back to the hotel. It's been 5 years since I stopped driving in the snow so it was a little unnerving and I thanked God the moment we pulled into the hotel parking garage.

It's been a busy crazy time since we got here since we missed our connecting flight, had to find the rental car the company didn't want to be bothered to exit the office and locate themselves, getting lost on the way here at 2 a.m. because of no lights near the tiny street name signs, blah blah blah. I had hoped to meet up with a friend and with a CM group but it's been nuts. :(

I check in at UMH tomorrow/Thursday at 8 a.m. for my 10 a.m. surgery. It should take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

I'll update again when I can. Thank you for your prayers!

Caio, Arizona!

We're flying out tomorrow for my surgery trip. We don't get in until nearly midnight. I'm a little concerned about the weather on both sides but figure it'll work out. Always does, one way or another, somehow. It's been raining here for days, causing flood warnings in several areas, etc.

I'm fairly well behind in posting this week. I've been doing the usual around here to prepare for leaving the kids behind for my medical trips. We took over Costco and stocked up the house; hopefully it'll make life a touch easier for J. Emergency forms, consents to treat, schedule of daily activities, all done! J. helped a ton with laundry yesterday so there's only one load left. She went to the garage and brought in the winter clothes. For MD weather we needed a lot more than what we had out for here! Brrr!

My other great time constraint is the Babette blanket. I won't get to do the border before I leave but I am determined to finish sewing on every last one of those squares! It is turning out really neat-looking. I only have 1 1/2 panels left to stitch up. Much of today will be spent on those remaining squares.

I'm antsy about the surgery but it needs done.

My son had his MRI Thursday. He was upbeat on the way there, thinking it'd be like playing astronaut, so no sedation. He got on the table, they showed him the mask, and the tears started. None of us could get anywhere with him. So off we went to a room, signed the consent for the pentabarbitol IV sedation, and they told him about the needle. It went from tears to bawling and crying, "I just want to go home!" A volunteer gave him an adorable handmade dinosaur to hold (he named it Frank!). After a few minutes he said he wanted to back to the machine and do it--no IV. Round 2 and he was awesome. He walked in there, hopped on up, got in there, and was still the whole time. He said, "I was scared of it before, but I'm not scared now! That's easy!" He was so funny after that. Oh and thankfully the spacer didn't cause the artifact they were concerned about on the imaging. The results should be in Monday or somewhere around there.

See you when I get back (or can handle typing after going back to the hotel post-surgery)! Cheers--here's to hoping for a pulse in my arm after surgery! It would be cool to have one finally, haha!

Oh if you get a chance and are willing, would you mind voting for my blog using the black box toward the right of the page? The contest ended a couple months ago but has started over again. So if you voted quite awhile back, your vote is gone now. I really appreciate it! There is no actual "award" but the more nominations it receives, the more views it will get because it will be toward the top of the health blogs list, the more people will (hopefully) read some of the informative links on the right side of my page, the more knowledge and understanding will be out there on these conditions!

Since I'll miss you this week, Happy St. Niklaus Nacht on the 5th!