Well the Holidays are right around the corner and what should we Do??

My wonderful wife for the past almost four years now has had to deal with "ME"!
If you've been reading along, she has had to deal with my 10 surgeries, getting me back on my feet, running the house and basically doing everything I have not been able to do for the past years?
So my question to everyone in earshot is how do I try and make these coming holidays a time she can enjoy herself, the grand babies and the kids??
She needs a break!! Not at any time has she gone out of her way for just doing something for her. So I need some help with how to make a wonderful person feel she doesn't have to do a thing for a while a way for her to mind to just rest??

How about saying "Hello" to someone today??

Why not, we seem to have a day for everything else??
When I was a kid people would actually be nice to one another or is it just my imagination, that times have changed so drastically that folks won't even look at each other??
It's a damn shame that common manners have been thrown out the window by some.
Even just holding a door for someone the other day I got a look like I wanted something?
Then getting on the elevator I asked the person which floor and they reached around me and hit the button themselves, Like I didn't exist?
Maybe it's time for half the parents to get their heads out of their asses and teach a common manners class at home or will that be a high school class offered for three credits??
I guess I had Parents that realized that having manners could come into play one day in my lifetime even if it was just to say"Hello"??
Mark from Boston

We watched the "RED SOX"S"win in the emergency room!!

Well when you think things are fine, We got another boot To the "ASS"!!
Last night my wife and I spent watching Sox's game four sweep at Tufts emergency room!
The fluctuation in body temps started, passing out and my left ear shutting off?
The CT scan showed a pocket of CSF fluids that are pooling in the back of my head!
Back on the steroids for the next 10 to 15 days and an order for the visiting nurse to keep both eyes on the lump should it get any larger to call immediately!! If I show any change to come directly in.
Just when you think things are moving along smoothly?? Well I'm tiered and am going to put my head back on the pillow which has become a good friend lately.
Everyone keep in touch and we can put away our purple brooms here in "RED SOX"S NATION"!!!!
Mark

Keeping "Chiari Malformation" is stored in the back of "MY" mind!!

Well coming up on week two since the decompression was done, had the staples removed last week and things seem to be going alright?
After finally finding out what the cause was to my symptoms, I sit and continue to just keep getting more pissed off because of the way my treatment went for almost 3.5 years??
You Know when I would go to my previous hospital (New England Baptist Hospital) and they had a flag flying saying they were voted to be one of the top ortho spots in the country?
I just can't figure out how?
Simple point and fact, I asked for medical records and doctors notes from the neurologist that my neurosurgeon sent me to concerning my condition for the surgery I just had, I received a confidential fax of a woman's complete medical plus copies of her insurance cards a week after surgery and to boot not even MY info!!
Thank God I got away from the Surgeon at that group!!
I'm pooped and I'm going to see if I can catch another hour of sleep?
I'll see if I can start getting a little more regular with the posts.
Mark From Boston

Did anyone catch the Extreme Home Makeover? It seems they touched that soft spot in my "HEAD" literally!!

Just wonder if anyone caught the extreme home makeover on Sunday night?Well seems they touched a spot that right in the back of my "HEAD" literally!Chiari Malformation, seems Chiari comes in all sizes and different named malformations!For some reason I really don't like the word malformation, in my mind the word means distorted, deformed, disfigured I could go on but I'll call it Chiari.I finally find a Doctor in Boston (where I'm from) after 9 surgeries to finally tell me what I had that caused for the last 3.5 years here goes, worst migraine x 3, continued ringing in both ears, feeling of walking on springs all day (they call it a GAIT), wear glasses take them on and off every 10 minutes and blink a lot, oh did I mention the to tiered for "SEX" part, 2.5 to 3 hours of sleep a night, body temperature fluctuations that can go from 96.9 to 100.2 in 45 seconds flat, the "NO SEX", spasms AND THE MED'S TO TRY TO COUNTER BALANCE ALL OF THE ABOVE!The first 9 surgeries were done by a neurosurgeon from NEBH BOSTON who sent me to the hospitals Psychologist "saying most of my symptoms he felt were in my MIND" but he did three more surgeries on me anyway? He must have figured out what was in my mind at that point!Finally I'm told in August of 07 That I have Hydrocephalus and need a VP SHUNT immediately! Oh we found what was causing those other problems a condition Called CHIARI MALFORMATION WHICH 99% OF THE TIME YOUR BORN WITH??How BS do you think the WIFE is right about know as the doctor is doing this on the speaker phone while we are driving down the zipper lane?? OH did I mention the NS!!Found a new doc at TUFTS NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL CENTER I had no HYDROCEPHALUS?Do have the CHIARI had the decompression surgery last Monday the 15 nth feeling good.THANK GOD FOR WIVES!!Stayed Tuned,Mark from Weymouthsouth of Boston

"Find a Doctor who'll sit and Listen about your Symptoms!!

Having a specialist is important but having a Doctor who has an attention span of a Nat or that does not follow up with any of the test they require you to have is a waste of your time!
He gets paid for his?
I am and forever requesting that any tests blood, MRI, CT anything done on me I want a copy and the prognosis. Having the questions to go to the office with on the day of your appointment no matter how trivial keeps you current and all the office staff realizes your on top of your care.

Put together a record resume, go back 10 years or when you think it's worth chronicling your health and keep it updated and always somewhere when traveling.
Point in case with being fused from my skull to c5 and having the Chiari decompression done there is only one way I can be int abated if they try any other way they could kill me!

This blog is for keeping people updated with Chiari and I'm in Boston and want to put a group who would like to meet and get to know Primary doctors, pain management doctors (because there is always going to some kind of pain) as well as neurosurgeons in our area.
So let's put our heads together and help each other out. After dealing with most of the Y groups you get mostly prayer offering which is fine but you need someone that will take care of the condition??