S-Hunting for Answers

I'm back to using really bad puns in my blog post titles, and this one offers a big clue to what happened at yesterday's appointment with the neurosurgeon.

The last MRI scan I had shows that below where my last shunt went in the syrinx seems to be reasonably collapsed and under control. However, above the shunt it still appears distended. Furthermore, there's also another point causing pressure right at the top of my spine near the base of my brain.

What was really interesting though was the Cerebro-Spinal Fluid (CSF) flow. The MRI at Macquarie University is able to capture the flow of CSF, and I could clearly see the upper part of the syrinx pulsing along with my heartbeat. It's actually a bit eerie. There was a risk that the titanium in my neck would interfere with some of the imaging, but apart from some black squiggly lines it didn't seem to have caused too many issues.

Interesting aspects aside, I've still got a worsening of symptoms to deal with, and two potential parts of the syrinx which could be contributing. The strategy would be to insert a sub-arachnoid shunt similar to my current one a little further up in the syrinx where the bulging is happening, and to release a membrane at the very high point which should relive pressure, and also place a shunt there for a grand total of three shunts in my neck. Apparently, there are is a slight irregularity in the shape of my skull and there's also some opportunity to remove a little bone to help make some space and remove further pressure. Going in, I had been very concerned he would recommend a syringo-pleural shunt or a syringo-peritoneal shunt, which from my understanding would have a much higher impact and recovery time, so it was somewhat calming to find it would be a procedure similar to one I'd previously undergone and could base my expectations of impact and recovery on.

I haven't decided if I'll go ahead with it yet. There's always a balance between risk and reward with these things, and given my experiences so far the rewards can be very slim indeed. On the flip side, it's hard to contemplate not doing something when there's an option available, and when you run the risk of further negative side effects through inaction. In the meantime, I have the much higher priorities of my wedding and honeymoon, and I can get back to worrying about my health when they're done.