Well shit!

I am super awesome at three things. I can make awesome mashed potatoes. My Grandpa Pat taught me the secret and no, I won't share it. I have mad crafting skills and can do MacGyver type crafting. Give me some hot glue, 3 inches of felt and a Bedazzler and I can make a functioning boat. No lie. Lastly, I have mastered denial and have made it into an art form.

I did just a bit of research on Chiari Malformation over the last week. I try not to Google things when it comes to my kids. Mostly because I am horrible at internet searches and would come across a website stating all their symptoms point to Antarctic Swine Polio. In the limited Googling I did do, these are the Chiari symptoms I came across:

1. Headache
2. Progressive scoliosis
3. Cerebellar dysfunction (difficulty with balance, low muscle tone)
4. Alteration of voice
5. Frequent respiratory tract infections.
6. Suspended alteration of sensation (arms are affected, but not legs)
7. Spasticity

Red Flag symptoms:
1. Severe swallowing problems
2. Tachyarrythmias
3. Severe nausea
4. Central Sleep apnea

All of the bolded symptoms are ones Josie has. Even with that, I was still able to deny that this was her issue. If this was her issue, she would need major surgery. On her head. No, in her head. So even though they found a Chiari Malformation, in no way was it severe enough to cause her symptoms, there must be something much less scary to blame.

I was able to tell myself that until today when the MRI results came in the mail. I searched the page hoping to find the words "Sorry, we made a mistake. Not only does everything look awesome, but she also has a tiny unicorn living in her skull." Unfortunately those words weren't on the page. Instead words like "below the level of the foramen magnum of approximately 12mm" and "small CSF flow" were in their place.

Even I can't deny that. Shit.

One a high note, only thing I am great at (great, not awesome) is finding a silver lining. The silver lining to this is patients with a 12mm Cerebellar Tonsil always have symptoms. So there is a high chance this will explain everything.  Now I just need to find a magical fairy that can wave her wand and put Josie's brain where it should be. Maybe she can even put that tiny unicorn in there too.