Years before I was diagnosed with CM I'd been experiencing symptoms such as; blinding headaches, severe pain in my neck, fatigue, dizziness, numbness in my face, etc. I was led to believe I had everything from pinched nerves to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mother's Day of 2005 I woke with a feeling of sheer panic. I had lost all feeling on the right side of my body. Taking into consideration my family history, the first thought that came to mind was a stroke. A trip to the ER and numerous tests later, revealed a diagnosis of Chiari Malformation.

At 3 A.M. the neurologist on duty came flying into my room, threw on the light, said something about my brain being crowded and was basically "sliding down" but it was not all that uncommon...follow up with my regular physician upon discharge. That was it. I had no CLUE what I had, what to expect or what to do about it. All I knew was that I was in pain, I was exhausted and scared. Over two years later several doctors have followed, all with the same conclusion; "It's not the Chiari that's causing your symptoms...your herniation is not significant enough...maybe your just stressed out."

I know many of you or perhaps someone you love has experienced the same, over and over again.

I hope that this blog, in some small way, can put us one step closer to increased awareness, education and support. Together we CAN make a difference!