Friday, March 5, 2010

Still not considered a Shunt Candidate and Chiari is said to be TOO SMALL to cause symptoms

While I don't mind not being a shunt candidate, I wasn't thinking I wanted one too badly anyhow, after all in the last two weeks I have seen so many failures that I didn't really want someone poking something into my brain just to make it work less, the concept just didn't make much sense to me.

I would like someone to explain to my Leg, Neck, back and arms, that they are NOT supposed to hurt and be numb since my Chiari malformation is too small to cause my symptoms I have…Oh, and my lungs too, since my apnea is being stubborn lately too. That is all…if it's not large enough to be symptomatic, they must all go away.

When I saw the neurosurgeon this morning, I wasn't sure how I would feel going in, on one hand, I knew I was not prepared for a VP shunt, for some reason I just am not comfortable with them (perhaps it has to do with the fact that on two occasions previously I had been told my ventricles were too small to put a shunt in safely) Well today made the third, but this doc gave a different reason why he didn't feel comfortable putting in a VP shunt, he also mentioned that he does NOT do LP shunts because the failure rate is so High.

I listened to him, To put in a VP shunt he would have to use a Pediatric catheter in the brain section as the adult catheter is actually 1mm larger than my ventricles are themselves, The adult Catheter is 3mm in diameter but my ventricles are only 2mm, since my pressures are so high, the pediatric catheter would likely just collapse my tiny ventricles anyhow and cause the need for repeated surgeries and trauma to the brain that he was not willing to risk since it is not even guaranteed to help (my last tap offered no relief).

Needless to say, I felt relief and frustration all in one, On one hand, I realize he is not familiar with the more complex cases of Chiari like mine (I should have known, most docs aren't familiar with the smaller Chiari Malformations causing issues, and I KNOW all the issues I am having are not psychological.)

On the other hand, I was relieved, because I am not in favor of having a shunt in, especially with the PTC/Chiari combo, I have done too much research on how the shunts fail and cause the Chiari to get worse if they are primary not secondary,

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