December 20, 2011. My wife's cell phone rang. It was 4:00 this morning. A wake up call so to speak! Time to get up and prepare for what could be one of the longest days in our life. My son is scheduled to have a major surgery early this morning!
More than three months ago, my son was complaining about recurrent headaches and neck pains. Then he had numbness on the left side of his body. We thought that his symptoms were just few of the common discomforts sleep-deprivation and probably stressful college life may cause. He is a college sophomore pursuing a degree in journalism. But the doctor in the university he attends did not take any chance. Diagnostic imagings were ordered. The blood vessels around his brain were checked and all seemed normal. No aneurysm (thanks goodness!). His brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) images caught the attention of the, I believe, general practice university physician. He was referred to a neurologist. Additional MRI was ordered, this time on his cervical spnal cord. Then I got one of the news I did not want to hear. My son has Chiari Malformation type 1 with syringomyelia!
It was my first time to hear about this disorder. But I can easily understand what it is! Chiari is not a disease. In common terms, his skull is a little bit smaller relative to his brain. So there is a little compression going on in his brain and in particular, it is his cerebellum that is affected. The pressure caused a portion of his cerebellum to come out of the skull by way of the foramen magnum, the big canal which serves as the passageway of the spinal cord from the brainstem. That herniation, the cerebellar tonsils which come our of the hole, might (it can only be speculated) have caused the symptoms he has been having of late. But it could be something else!
It could've been less alarming if our son has only the herniation. The MRI conducted on his cervical spine showed a syrinx inside his spinal cord. A syrinx is a cyst which results from the accumulation of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which normally the CSF should be circulating inside and outside the spinal cord. This poses a major risk, considering the size of syrinx. The neurosurgeon looking at his case recommended an immediate surgeon lest the syrinx may cause permanent damage.
This recent development caused changes in our plans for the winter break. In September, we made flight reservations to visit our aging folks in the Philippines. It's been three years since we last visited them. So all four of us were excited to spend the 2011 Christmas holidays with our loved ones back home. Not anymore! We decided to have this surgery conducted immediately after our son was done with school. And it was only Alison, our daughter, went ahead with the trip!
The thought of surgery sends chills to my spine. With my son undergoing a major surgery, scares me to hell (if hell exists!). For it's not just removing an appendix or a gallstone. He is going to have a brain decompression surgery. A portion of the skull bone that's covering his cerebellum will be removed. Am scared about the risks associated. Am scared about human errors that may do more harm than good to him. I can only hope with modern technology and the expertise of the team working on his surgery, everything will be okay!
At 8:35ish, we were told the surgery started! The procedure would take about 2-3 hours, give or take, the neurosurgeon told us before our son was wheeled in to the operating room. Must be a long wait for us in the waiting room. The wifi available in the waiting area has helped us while away the time. Just like anybody else in the waiting area, we are eager to hear any information about what's going on inside the operating room.
Finally we get the chance to have a brief audience with the neurosurgeon, two-and-a-half hours after. The surgery went well, we were told. A chunk of his skull was removed as well as his cerebellar tonsils. Then it was going to be another two-to-three hours before we could see hear about him again, hopefully, when he wakes up from sedation. But I dont know if we could come close to him. He is expected to be in the intensive care unit (ICU) until his recovery process improves.
The day has gone long, and we're only halfway through yet. I know it's going to be quite a long day for us, but longer for our son as his body has yet to get rid of the anesthetics it received earlier. I know it's going to be a long road to recovery for him. We could only hope he will get a relief from the unpleasant symptoms he had been enduring in the past months along with the recuperation.
We received well-wishes from a lot of people who knew about our son's forthcoming decompression surgery. Prayers inundate the heaven, asking for the intervention of the Great Healer for his safe and rapid recovery. All these were very much appreciated. Your abundant emotional and spiritual support have helped us through this rough time. Thank you so much!
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