Spinal Cord and Tree Analogy

[Guest guest]

I don't post often but I would like to put in my opinion regarding a

syrinx. According to the literature I have read, a syrinx " destroys " the

spinal cord.

Now, I look at the spinal cord like I do a tree (see what crazy things this

disease does to you). When a tree has a disease, the trunk dies first

while the branches still appear healthy. It can take years before the

devastating results of the disease are evident in the trees branches. I

think the same is true with syringomyelia. The spinal cord is slowly being

destroyed and hence the roots themselves. It is not until lots of damage

is done that we see/feel (or not feel) the results of syringomyelia.

I know that in my case, I had quite a large syrinx return 5 years after my

first decompression. My first neurosurgeon just kept watching it with

annual MRI's because it didn't appear to him that I was suffering any

" profound " symptoms. Over the next 5 years, I began to have breathing

difficulty, needles and pins, and you know the routine, a whole host of

other symptoms including digestive and gynecological.

Well, guest what? I went to Dr. Weingart at s Hopkins and he said I

needed surgery to get rid of that nasty looking syrinx and tons of scar

tissue from my first decompression. It was discovered during this surgery

(in August of 2001) that my diaphragm was being paralyzed by the damage

being done by the syrinx.

Things have been looking up since my second surgery and, needless to say,

my branches are again growing leaves and my roots are looking better and

better with each passing day.

Terri from Delaware