Great day!

http://www.asap.org/index.php/medical-articles/cine-mri/

(info below taken from website above)
Cine MRI Cine MRI (as in cinema) is taken the same way a traditional MRI is, with the addition of either a wristband or EKG leads on the patients chest to measure the heart rate. Each time your heart beats, the cerebrospinal fluid is forced out of your brain, down toward the spine in response to the flow of blood that enters the brain with each beat. The MRI machine is equipped with an additional software package that allows the images to be put together, showing the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as it is moving.

Cine MRI's are sometimes ordered for patients to help doctors determine the amount of CSF flow through the foramen magnum. It can be useful in cases of "borderline" Chiari Malformations or when the question of whether or not decompression is needed is not readily answered using a traditional MRI. A radiologist can determine the amount of fluid that is moving and compare that with normal subjects. Cine MRI's are sometimes useful in showing other CSF blockages as well. Cine MRI's are not readily available to all patients, and their practical use is still debated by physicians.*******


I had the above Cine MRI done when I was in NY. They did find a CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) blockage. That alone would explain why I have pressure headaches, constant "ache" headache, and why I can't go on bumpy roads. CSF is a fluid that essentially floats your brain, it also feeds your brain, has immunological function and assists in homeostasis of blood pressure. So if the flow is restricted, the brain is starved and part of the cushioning is gone. The restriction they found is at the base of the skull through the foramen magnum. My Cerebellum actually protrudes through the foramen magnum. (IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT). When the fluid is not there to "float the brain, the brain is hitting the skull! Yikes---and yes it HURTS LIKE HELL! Also, when the CSF is not flowing to parts of the brain, it hurts, kind of like a heart attack. My blood pressure is usually low but with just a turn of my head, I have drastic changes in blood pressure. So weird.

I had a GREAT DAY TODAY! Around 0900, I realized I felt OK so I called my friend. She happened to be in my neighborhood so she swung by and picked me up. She took me to run around. We went to the store, the bank, and to get a sandwich. It was so fun. Her daughter is 18 months old. She sat on my lap for a little bit when I was driving the electric wheelchair. She thought that was pretty cool. Until she got board. Then they hung out with me for a little bit at home. At one point I looked over and she had Justin's Ipod to her ear like a phone. Then her mom realized that she had something in her mouth. The baby quickly swallowed it. Guess what? She swallowed both of the rubber parts of the ear buds! Gross but really funny!

YAY FOR THE GOOD DAYS!!!!