Update from - MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2009 02:15 PM, CST

[Guest guest]

Sorry it has been so long since I updated. My mother in law has been taking care of our kids a lot so we got her a cell phone added to our plan and she ran up the bill $1200 in 2 months so they are all shut off now and that is how I get my internet. Oh well....

I am in Denver now to see the Chiari specialist, Dr Oro. I saw him today for my initial appointment and it went well. He agrees that I do have a Chiari Malformation but he needs to do some tests to get more " clues " as he said.

Today I had an MRI where I was sitting up. I asked my doctors about it a couple months ago and they said that there are no MRI's where people can be upright. I thought that if we could see what things were like while I am up and moving then it would give a better picture of how things really are. I feel pretty okay when I am laying down, but with 4 kids and a life I can't just lay in bed all day (although that's what I have been doing).

So I had that done today. I am at the Aurora Public Library right now and Tricia (my bff) and I looked at the disk and it looks like the tonsils are lower when I am upright than they are when I am laying down. :-) We are not trained though so we will see what they said.

Tomorrow I have an MRI of my thorasic spine, MRI of lumbar spine, and another CINE flow study because the first one that was done enough.

I am excited. Wednesday I will see Dr Oro again and see what he has to say. I feel funny saying that I am excited about the prospect of having brain surgery. I am though because I can't wait to get my life back.

I will update again Wednesday after my appointment. Thank you to all those who support and pray for us. I appreciate you all.

To send a message to melissa and family goto;

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/melissahall