vertigo and other strange symptoms

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Hello everyone, I just wanted to respond to the person's comment about vertigo... My story is way too long to get into here. But let me put it in a nutshell. My current suspicion that I have Hashimoto's (not yet diagnosed). This follows YEARS of other mysterious health problems. After years and years of headaches and fatigue, I was finally diagnosed with two VERY hard to diagnose conditions: Chiari Malformation and Occult Tethered Cord Syndrome. I saw experts at s Hopkins who explicitly looked for these conditions and said I did not have them. I was finally diagnosed in NY. Chiari Malformation means the lower back half of your skull is underdeveloped (by a matter of millimeters). It's very subtle and does not look abnormal at all. It does not show up on an MRI. SOMETIMES, it can cause other problems that will show up on

an MRI - but not always. And it does not mean your skull is small. It means the lower back half is small RELATIVE to the rest of your skull. I believe the lower back half is the last to form (but don't quote me on that). There are small boned people with this condition and there are also large boned people with it. Occult Tethered Cord Syndrome is a condition that is in the same family of defects as Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida means the covering around your spinal cord is literally open. In people with OTCS, the spinal cord is fully developed - but the filum (ligament-like structure) that anchors the spinal cord to the tailbone is too tight. This usually does not show up on an MRI but can cause all kinds of strange neurological symptoms. In my case, I was born with a red birthmark on my lower back (in hindsight, an indicator that there was something "not right" in that

area). I also had a red birthmark on my throat. And what do you know! I have had a sore throat - and borderline hashimoto's symptoms - for 8 years now. In the case of OTCS, symptoms don't usually present until the person grows to full physical maturity (too much to explain why here). I suspect that....in MY case...there is also something "structural" in nature gone haywire in my cervical (throat) area. Something too subtle to be picked up by doctors. Something that has affected my thryoid.... Of course, another possibility is that my increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is screwing with my pituitary. fyi, in my case, the increased ICP caused headaches - but it does NOT cause headaches in everyone. Below are a list of symptoms commonly seen in people with these "rare" disorders: fatigue headaches brain fog (inability to

concentrate, forgetfulness, memory issues, word finding problems, etc) vertigo choking on food "full" feeling in throat food getting caught in throat sore throat digestive problems (diarrhea, constipation, ibs-like symptoms) frequent urination incontinence (urinary or bowel) numbness or tingling in arms, hands, feet low sex drive lack of sensation in the pelvic region poor circulation general aches and pains all over foot abnormalities (flat footed, high arches, etc) lack of muscle tone ringing in the ears (tinnitis) vision problems (blurred vision, nystagmus, lazy eye, strabismus, etc) leg pain lower back pain Now don't these symptoms ring a bell? Keep in mind, not all symptoms present in all people with these

conditions. I am diagnosed with both (and have undergone surgeries). The only obvious symptom I had for YEARS was headaches. In hindsight, I realize I've always had frequent urination (waking up 2-3 times per night to go). I only started getting tingling in my fingertips at age 33. Other characteristics that I never thought much of turned out to be subtle indicators: I am flat footed and I have strabismus. Anyway, my point is this: what if there are lots of people like me....people with these structural issues....and what if they DO affect the thryoid (directly or indirectly via the pituitary)? Actually, it's common for people with these conditions to have pituitary issues. That's a known fact. Also a condition called "empty sella" (I'm not even sure what that one is all about). oh...and my current situation. after 3 surgeries, I am headache free. but

the fatigue, skin problem, and sore throat remain. Hence, I am pursuing a diagnosis of hashimotos.... in land

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