NAME: Deborah Eileen (Moore) Kirkpatrick
AGE: 51
RACE: White
BIRTH DATE: July 11, 1955
GENDER: Female
OCCUPATION: Mental Health Therapist......pre ACM/SM diagnosis occupation: Machinist.
LOCATION: Southeastern, Nebraska (moved from north central Oklahoma Feb '98)
DIAGNOSIS: March 17, 1993 - Chiari I (9mm herniation of cerebeller tonsils with some lowering of the Pons). Syringomyelia (multioccular syrinx at T1-T5 with "tremendous expansion").
SURGERY: June 28, 1996 - Fossa Decompression with Dura Graft (harvested from my left thigh) and C1 Laminectomy. Surgery was performed by Dr. Allen Fielding in Tulsa, Oklahoma at St. Francis Hospital. My hospital stay was 3 days.
ONSET OF SYMPTOMS: I injured my neck at work on July 10, 1992 while removing an approximately 35 lb steel part from my machine. Initially, I felt no real pain at the time of the injury. I just felt a strange sensation and heard a loud pop at the base of my neck and felt rather stunned (immobilized). The following morning I had pain, stiffness, and spasms in my upper back, neck, and left shoulder. The pain and symptoms grew worse each day. Finally, after having spent 2 months in physical therapy and on light duty at work I was put back out on the shop floor in September, even though I still complained of the same symptoms. By March 1993 the pain was so intolerable I called personnel and explained again that I was not any better and that I was being forced to quit my job (of 15 years) due to the pain. At that time, my employer sent me back to the doctor who then ordered an MRI and the diagnosis was made.
SUMMARY: The surgery was successful in that I have had a major reduction in the amount, frequency, duration, and intensity of chiari headaches. Also, there has been a very significant collapse of the syrinx (compare Pre-op and Post-op MRI's of thoracic area). However, I have not noticed a significant change/improvement in the symptoms/problems caused by the syrinx.
Links to SM and Chiari sites
Deb's Homepage