#hydromyelia

[chipper-smol]

no medical pictures either im not posting those, but instead for those curious i've drawn a doodle of the alien that's in my back 24/7 and why i've been more discouraged as of late when it comes to drawing

\o/ the medical term is syrinx (or hydromyelia, or syringohydromyelia) which is caused by the flow of CSF (Cerebrospinal fluid) getting disrupted. In my case it's because of a deformation of my skull/cerebellum called a Chiari Malformation.

as you can see, all that blocked up fluid ain't good for the nerves. I've lost a significant range of dexterity in my dominant hand and a moderate amount in my other (there's other stuff but this is a symptom im constantly dealing with). there's no pain but it feels like being stuck in a cramped box and you can't stretch, there's only so much motion available to you

syrinxes/hydromyelias aren't rare and often they are MUCH smaller. some people can actually have them and experience no negative symptoms for years and coincidentally discover them while a doctor is looking for something else. it IS unusual, however, to get to the age of 27 and not had any prior testing with my symptoms AND it is DOUBLY unusual to have one so fucking massive

am open to questions though if people are curious about stuff, like what getting an MRI is like and how it feels to make a Neurologist go "???"