After Surgery

Recovery right after surgery can be as different as night and day. Some find the recovery quite easy and are out in a few days feeling great and continue to make progress until they are healthy. Surgery can and has eliminated symptoms of chiari all together. After surgery in general despite how good you are feeling you need to take your recovery slowly. Often set backs can occur with people not taking the rest they require after major surgery.  Speak to your doctor about the time frame for certain activities that they feel you should work with. Also incorperating physical therapy can be highly beneficial to help speed recovery.

For someone people after surgery symptoms may not decrease. Some symptoms and health may even decline after surgery. As everyone is different recovery and response to surgeries will be different. First remember that it will take time, a lot of time, to get better. Your body has been in this state for many years it will take awhile for you body to readjust to its new "normal".

If after a certain amount of time things have not settled it is best to go back to your surgeon, they may suggest further surgery or alternative treatments. Often treatment after surgery is based on helping symptoms. Often the damage is done and the symptoms will always be there. There has been a lot of advances in medicine each and every day so there is often help available.

Being proactive is highly important; you are your own advocate and need to push for quality of life. You may find your self seeing physiotherapist, pain management, psychiatric, ophthalmologists, dieticians etc. There are many ways to help yourself by doing the research and having a good doctor who will help sort out issues.