bicycle helmets for post-op Chiarians

[Guest guest]

I have ACM-I, 7mm herniation, and was successfully

decompressed on 03/17/2000 at UCLA.

I am at about 96% of where I was before surgery.

I notice it most when I am tired or have been working out

- I get " my own personal earthquakes " (transitory vertigo),

and I sway. Sometimes when tired, I have trouble finding

words and a bit of problem with sentence structure.

And I have an on-going hiccup. Just one, on occasion.

I have been mountain biking lately, but I am having

trouble finding a helmet that doesn't eventually

cause my head to pound. I also have trouble wearing

hats a lot of the time. I can wear a motorcycle helmet

with no problem at all, but biking helmets really kill me.

My head has a tendency to pound when I do a vascular

workout anyway, and the helmet just compounds the pain.

I've tried wearing it father back on my head, but that

doesn't work, and I have tried adjusting the straps in

all fashions to no avail. I think it's just having

pressure on the back of my head causes all the problems.

Does anyone else have suggestions? I have seen the bicycle

racing helmets, like the kids on stunt bicycles wear, that

covers the whole head and face, and I was wondering if that

would help, since it looks like a motorcycle one.

Also, are any other ACM-I post-decompression patients

doing any weight training? I would love to talk to you

about techniques for strengthening the neck without

straining it.

elizabeth gilliam