News from yesterday's doctor appointment.

I went to the doctor yesterday and it's been determined that this is congenital. It's also going to get worse. I kind of knew that but to have it confirmed was remarkably disheartening. Here's the whole story of my headache on one page with pictures and everything.





Why I Have a Headache

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Okay so it turns out that the misalignment in my spine is congenital. The problem is in the
top two vertebra of my spine (cervical). It’s the most mobile part of your spine and I actually have had symptoms all of my life. But the real pain began about 10 years ago. It started out that I’d have this horrible headache that would last weeks and sometimes a month or two. Then it would go away for a while. As it became more constant, I started seeing doctors. ALL KINDS of doctors. My third chiro had me get an x-ray standing up and the problem became apparent then. My atlas is slid to one side and slightly rotated. My axis is slid to the other side. Basically it looks like figure 1. It should look like figure 2. Through that center hole is my spinal cord, my brainstem, and a network of nerves. You can see that in my case all of this is pinched into a smaller area and it’s getting worse all of the time. Yesterday the doctor told me it will continue to get worse.
My options are limited. Surgery isn’t advanced enough to deal with the problem and 400 opinions later it’s clear that the risks outweigh the chance of fixing it. Paralysis and
  death being the biggies (I’d choose death because right now I can surf the web, turn
channels and STILL pull myself out of it enough to do things with my girls.) Paralysis would definitely change that. At this time I’m going the pain management route but the pills are becoming less effective with time. I have chosen to draw the line where I’m at, though a less scrupulous doctor would put me on Fentanyl or oxycontin. They are more addictive with oxycontin being a substitute of heroin. Aside from this being constant and unwavering, I also have the following symptoms typical of this kind of misalignment:
Low grade fever
Increased blood pressure
Sensitivity to light, sound, smell and ringing in my ears
Fatigue
And a heart murmur
Depression (though I think that this would make anyone depressed and a touch moody, no?)

I’ve had several tests run, two MRIs, x-rays, acupuncture, acupressure, etc. I’ve seen 5 chiropractors (BIGGEST mistake of my life for this condition), an osteopath, 2 neurologists, 7 doctors, a pulseologist, two pain clinics, and a few holistic hocus pocus people. I’ve traveled far and wide even to San Francisco.While I appreciate everyone’s concern and advice, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t have tried every suggestion as some things have made it much worse. It’s also cost a lot of money that I feel was a huge waste. I am researching always and at this time maintaining. I won’t be taking any suggestion outside of my doctor, etc. Thank you , anyway :)



In the last picture you can see where the two vertebrae fit together. Any chance of them staying in place was lost by having them popped back into place by chiropractors. With each visit it would stay aligned for a shorter amount of time until it popped out immediately after an adjustment. It, in essence, wore down the ridge that held it in place and now it will NOT stay at all. Also the muscles surrounding my cervical spine have grown to hold it OUT of place so it’s not just about the spinal misalignment, it’s trained to stay out of place. I’m not suggesting that chiropractors are not helpful to some cases but in my case it was the worst mistake ever.