HUGE UPDATE!

I am the absolute worst at communication, so I apologize for the delay in information. A lot has happened in seven months. First, I do not have EDS or if I do it is very mild according to the South Bend doc. This information allowed me to continue on with my plans for pregnancy. My husband and I were to start Clomid (fertility drug) in March but God stepped in and saved us the expense. I am currently 21 weeks pregnant with a little boy!! I am so excited!!! I already have two girls through a previous relationship and relish the idea of a son. My hubby is over the moon :) We are calling him our "little monster" since he has always measured about a week ahead of schedule. It has been a blast finding monster themed clothing and nursery items. This has not been the easiest pregnancy but, then again, I am a good decade older than I was the last time I was with child (my youngest will be 12 next month and my eldest will be 18 in 2 1/2 months). I cannot remember if I ever blogged about all of the losses my husband and I endured before this baby. It pretty much tore our marriage apart and we separated for awhile three years ago. But found our way back to each other after six months and we are stronger than ever! We decided that we would try one more time before my bio clock ticked out; if it didn't work then we lived out our lives without regret. Well, it worked! I have been exhausted but regulating my hashimoto's (thyroid disease) has been a challenge. I think I slept through the first four months. Then there is the heart issue. It drives me bonkers. I can feel it flopping around on me in there. It never feels like I have enough oxygen. Finally, there are the headaches. They are almost daily. Some feel very Chiari-like in nature. Some just feel like migraines (which we all know can be the Chiari manifesting in a sneaky way). I truly cannot distinguish between preexisting health problems, pregnancy and just plain old age related issues. I think they are blending together into this triad of trouble for my poor abused and battered body :P As a side note: I have seen a high risk doc down in Indy with an impressive resume. He seems to think that there is no reason I cannot give birth vaginally. I had both kids fairly quickly and he thinks that if I "labor down" I will only have to push a couple of times and that should not have any effect on my already decompressed Chiari. I should preface this with the fact that I have little to no problems with valsulva maneuvers as long as they are not too prolonged. My OBGYN concurs. My original Cleveland Clinic doc, Dr. Di, is no longer there so I could not ask his opinion but I did get the opinion of his boss which was general anesthesia with C-Section. Keep in mind that this is not commonplace for him since he is the pediatric neurosurgeon and they tend not to have pregnancy concerns. For me, this seems like a very archaic way of thinking. There have been studies, although very very small, that tell a different story in regards to birth and Chiari. Dr. Oro's nurse has a report on the Web of one which demonstrates women having vaginal and epidural births with fantastic outcomes. There are also studies by TCI which say pretty much the same thing although they break it down even further. According to TCI, if you had a small herniation that has been successfully treated and do not have a syrinx, you can attempt a vaginal birth relatively safely. They do however recommend a CINE MRI at 35 weeks to ensure adequate CSF flow before committing to a delivery method. I have not decided if I will have the CINE. I am happy and that is what matters right now. I love my husband. I love my girls. And I love my little monster :))) I wish everyone health, prosperity and a pain free existence!