HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAXIE and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Max turned 3 on the 29th! We celebrated with a very quiet family dinner just Dan, Sonja, Max and myself. Even though it was only us, the kids were just as happy as if we had a thousand people here. He opened a few presents and we had cake and ice cream and the usual party stuff. He's having a bigger birthday party Saturday, Halloween theme.
All ready for some Halloween fun and goodies!!!

I'm sure you've noticed that Max is not wearing a costume. Well... he did/does have one, but he refused to wear it when he saw Sonja getting dressed up as a kitty cat. He, of course, wanted to dress up like a kitty cat too! I think it was the make up application and the one on one time Sonja was getting with mommy (which is a BIG thing with Max these days since Sonja has been going to school). I opted to put some make up on him that was my (lame) attempt at making a turtle mouth, just in case he changed his mind. Yes... he was going to be a turtle, a costume that he picked out! Oh well, he had a great time and they both came home with a lot of candy (way too much in my opinion).

We did the usual Halloween row (a street in town that gets really into it and is the most popular route on Halloween) and then off to the relatives house. Sonja crawled right up onto my lap and fell a sleep at grandma's house. Max on the other hand was still going right up until Dan placed him in bed. A nice night for them.
This a is picture of one of the neighborhood children that frequently comes to the house. She is such a cutie! The kids just love her and her sister. As you can see, it was a make up session (even Maxie ended up with sparkles on his face)!
Ol' Beary. He celebrated his nine month birthday on the fifteenth! He's still growing like a weed. What a big lovable oaf!
Now....hheeeerrreee'sss Johnny!!!!! This is our new pet...Johnny, Johnny Mantis! You're probably wondering what in the heck are they doing with a Preying Mantis?! Well, one day last week, Maxie came down in the morning with his blanket (as usual). All of a sudden he says "pider!" Just then, I noticed our cat snowball zoning in on something on Max's blanket. When I first saw it, I thought it was a spider, but thank god i didn't freak out (I hate spiders)! I noticed he was probably a baby and quickly got him out to the kitchen away from the cat. I put him in the plant because it was cold out and he wouldn't survive. The next day. I couldn't find him so I thought "Oh well, what can you do". Later on that day, I saw him on the floor of the kitchen. I was so happy he was o.k.! I put him back up and started researching them. They are meat eaters so putting him in the plant wasn't going to help him at all, except for camouflage. I found out that you can feed them cat food.....Yes, cat food!!! So I proceeded to feed him some food on the end of a paperclip and mist him with water. He's doing great and is now in a bug keeper safe and sound. Oh...for all of you that are saying "Oh my God! That's against the law! You can get fined for that!" Well, no. It's not against the law. As a matter of fact, they are being sold in kids toy catalogs now, only you get an egg sack...all two hundred little hatchlings when they come out (which they will then cannibalize each other). They are said to make great pets for kids, are hardy, easy care but unfortunately, only live only 10 to 14 months tops.
Our little guy is getting much bigger (they grow really quickly) and is no longer walking like a hatchling. He now holds his front legs just like the big boys do, in the praying position. It's kind of like how some Chinese still keep crickets. I will be looking into the fancier cricket homes if he continues to do well. I'll keep you updated on it!

Until next time.......

It's all in my head......Literally!

......And a few other places as well!

The picture above is that of an average brain, brain stem and cerebellum. You can see the structures clearly marked above.

Now.... Here's mine below....
Did you ever wonder what's going on in someones head? Well, here's what's going on in mine!
The term used by many Chiarians (people affected by Chiari Malformation) is "too much brain to contain". That's how I'd like to look at it too!

If you look at my brain stem and cerebellum, you can clearly see my cerebellum is down into my spinal cord/column touching my spinal cord and squished up against my medulla (Thank God it's not in my a_ _ or some other place some men are accused to keep theirs! ;-). It looks just like a plug, and in fact, is acting very much like a plug, preventing cerebral spinal fluid from flowing freely around my spinal cord and brain posteriorly. I also have crowding of the structures, especially the cerebellum (hence the term "too much brain to contain"),. During this MRI my head was tilted back to the point that I felt as though I couldn't swallow or breathe well, due to the puny pillow my head was on. If you click on the picture you can see in greater detail how the "plug" is probably preventing free CSF flow. The dark area on either side of the spinal cord is where the CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) should flow. It baths the cord and brain, which sort of provides cushion and protection of both. From my MRI, it doesn't look like there is any room for the spinal fluid to go. If the CSF flow is blocked, it will take the path of least resistance, which many times is into the central spinal canal. This is the middle of your spinal cord. When that occurs, it produces a cyst which is called a syrinx or syringomyelia.
In the pic above you can see what appears to be a cyst. I'm not sure if it is, but you can definitely see the widened central canal when you click on it or enlarge it.
Many times, when the cyst widens, it starts to damage and kill the outgoing nerves. I guess I'll find out for sure soon as I will be going to The Chiari Institute. They are the worlds premiere institute in the treatment of Chiari and associated brain and spinal disorders. I'll be there in less than three weeks!!!! Yippeee!!!!!!
I have many of the symptoms such as double vision, "brain farts" (forgetting what the heck I was saying or doing) headache (the name of the headaches I get are "ice pick" headaches), balance problems, diminished hearing, difficulty finding the correct words, chronic fatigue, shooting electric jolt-like pains in my arms and legs and breathing problems, along with others. I think it has been discovered at a good time though.

Although there's no cure, there is treatment. I'm hopeful that they can help me. I was told by Karen from TCI that according to the screening tool, I screened high for Tethered Cord Syndrome. Looking at my old MRI films, it certainly appears like I do have it. It's probably related to my spinal surgery I had back in 2003. My doctor said I had a lot of scar tissue and that that was causing my symptoms. Well, looks like he may have been right!

What is Tethered Cord? It is when your spinal cord becomes attached to the dura of the spinal canal. Some people are born with tethered cords, some develop them from scar tissue or other things. Tethered cord can sometimes cause the cerebellum to become pulled down into the spinal column. The cerebellar tonsils (what the part of the cerebellum that hangs down with Chiari is called) can go back up if surgery is performed to release the tethered cord, therefore stopping the downward pull of the cerebellum.
If that doesn't work, the symptomatic Chiarian sometimes must undergo a procedure called posterior fossa decompression, where they basically open the back of your head up and pare down the skull, and open up the base of the skull to allow for better cerebral spinal fluid flow. Strangely enough, my mother in law had to have this done back in 2001 or 2002. What's the odds of that (We also share the same birthday {insert theme from the Twilight Zone here})?! They also will sometimes place a patch in to keep the tonsils from coming down, and some may also need a shunt/stint to help further with CSF flow. Pretty scary stuff. Hopefully, I won't have to have ANY surgery, but if I had to choose, I'd rather have the tethered cord release over decompression any day!
In the MRI above, you can see the tumor/hemangioma in the upper thoracic region. If you count all of the little vertebrae, it's the 7th one in the picture that looks like a white circle/blob. It is something that is usually followed because they can grow, which causes weakening of the bone and collapse of the vertebrae, which happened to a friend of mine (Janice).Mine is 1cm in size. It appears to be approximately 1/4th to 1/5th the width of the verebrae.

You can also see my fracture if you click on the picture above. It's the vertebrae that is second from the bottom. It looks like a darker gray line that starts at the front top and proceeds through the upper middle towards the back. The herniations are in the disks just above that at T 7 and 10. I also have some herniations in my lower spine but I don't have the MRI pics to post as that MRI is old and on film.

The reason I'm posting this is to hopefully bring some awareness and understanding to this and the other related conditions. I have also decided to document the path that I'm on, which I hope will help someone out there. You can't say life is boring!

It doesn't look like we'll be getting to see any sights while we're in Long Island but when speaking with Karen, it appears as though this won't be my only trip there. Maybe next time we'll be able to take the kids and enjoy our stay. We won't be able to take the kids this time because I'll be having MRI's CT scans and X ray testing the entire day the first day there, and the second day will be all day consults at TCI. Dan didn't think the kids would fare well sitting in a hospital all day, neither did I. Oh well.... at least I'll have answers when I leave there YIPPEEEE!!!! I can't wait! I'm afraid of what they'll tell me but at least I'll know. It's better to know the beast you're fighting to better arm oneself! Another good thing is that we're staying at a great hotel so maybe I can spoil myself a bit :-), we'll see. If I have to go back, the kids are coming and maybe we'll take a trip into the city....maybe even catch a broadway show! Manhattan is only 35 minutes away! Gotta make the best of it right?!

Well, I hope I may help someone by posting this. I know it helps me by jotting this down, getting it out so to speak, and explaining this to people I know.

Next time I'll tell you a bit about our new pet Johnny! Not your average pet, for the not so average family!

Take care!
Until next time....

The Younger Generation.....

I recently saw this in one of the Chiari/Syringomyelia support groups I belong to. I usually don't post things like this often, and especially one after the other but I had to make an exception with this one.

I love the generations above me (which are becoming fewer with my advancing age :-) and we have a lot to be thankful to them for.

Read and enjoy!!!!


A very self-important college freshman attending a recent football game took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one, the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear. 'The young people of today are much more advanced than people your age. We grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon and the internet. We have cell phones, nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers, automated manufacturing, amazing technologies, and..., pausing to take another drink of beer.

The senior took advantage of the break in the student's litany and said, 'You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young.....so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little sh__, what are YOU doing for the next generation?'

The applause was resounding...I love senior citizens

Have a great day!!!!

Until next time......

The Cab Ride

I found this awesome true story that I thought I should share.

Get the tissues handy!

The Cab Ride I'll Never Forget
by Kent Nerburn

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. One time I arrived in the middle of the night for a pick up at a building that was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."

I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers."

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware—beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

How very true!

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.

Until next time.....

Game Changer?!

Well, I watched the Presidential debate last night.

I have been a supporter of John McCain due to his stance on security and abortion.

I cannot express to you in words how much I hate abortion. I feel there is little reason in today's society for abortion except for extreme emergencies, incest and rape considering all the available means of birth control which you can get very cheap or FREE in some cases! Also, being a person unable to conceive, I feel murdering these precious babies is the most heinous act perpetrated by the human race. So many people would LOVE to adopt those babies being killed!

I stand with Obama on most issues, especially health and education, but the abortion issue is the big elephant in the living room for me. I'm leaning more toward Obama at this point but I'm going to have to research his stance on abortion more.

McCain came out with guns a blazin', made some good points, but Obama was cool, calm and came across, to me, as more sincere, and addressed the attacks against him well. Dan felt the same way. Dan, being a Canadian, can't vote in our elections, but ironically was sent a picture of John McCain and Sarah Palin that asked for his vote (I didn't get one)!

It's a really tough choice for me to make. I've only got 3 weeks to decide, so my research continues.

How will YOU vote?

Take care and take it easy!

Until next time...

Daddy's Invention

Dan rigged up a zip line in the backyard for the kids to ZIP from one part of the yard to the other! The kids LOVED it!!!
Dan hooked their kiddie swing onto the steel cable, strapped them in and ZOOM off they go!!!

Here Max takes his turn while Grandma plays frisbee with Bear. Max was squealing and giggling with delight!

The cable used is actually the cable for our dog run, but we barely use it as Bear isn't one to wander off and stays right with us. Even when he does get out of sight, all we do is call him and he comes. He's a good puppy. Tomorrow he will be 9 months old!

Today, is Grandpa's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!

On a more somber tone, please keep my friend Janice in your thoughts and prayers. She's battling one tough opponent and could use all the help she can get!

Take care and take it easy!

Until next time......

Happy Birthday........Cabbage?

I was informed by Sonja this a.m. before she headed out for school that today is Cabbage's birthday....Yippeeee! No.... My daughter doesn't celebrate the sprouting of vegetables like a long lost ritual of an ancient civilization, nor does she carry around a cabbage dressed in baby clothes. We're talkin' about her little cabbage patch doll....her baby. When I asked her how old "Cabbage" was, she said three. I'm sure that will change throughout the day, just as sure as I am that "Cabbage" will have another birthday (if not two or three) within the following year. This is the infamous "Cabbage" Notice the chin strap apparatus. It reminds me of the old "Little Rascals" movies. You know... the one where Alfalfa has a toothache and he wears a piece of cloth wrapped around his head and jaw, tied in a HUGE bow on the top of his head? Look familiar? What the heck was that all about anyways? I could never figure out what benefit this cloth thingy could provide to a throbbing, mind numbing toothache? Ah... the olden days.... If someone out there in cyber blogland has the answer to that one, let me know! Did you notice something missing? Well, I decided I'd get rid of the "Followers" doo hickey (Sorry Janice). There were a few things that I didn't like about it. First...when I visit other blogs, I frequently go back and read previous postings, sometimes for clarity, some time for history, and just to be...well....nosy:-) When you log into your account, you get whatever recent update on the blog, but that's it! I may as well just go to the site directly. Secondly....It kind of made me feel a little Jim Jones(ish?)(ey?) (you know..the guy who headed up the Kool-Aid drinkin' cult, a.k.a. mass murderer in Jonestown?) with "My Followers" being my zombie eyed, hanging on every word, drone-like (click here>) "disciples" just a little egotistical for my blood. Now, I'm not saying that people who have this add-on shouldn't, it just didn't sit right with me. I figure it this way, I will continue to follow the blogs that I always have, and I'm pretty sure those who follow my blog will do the same. Have a nice Tuesday! Until next time......

Can you help? YES YOU CAN!!!

Do you like to help people?

O.K.... so you don't like to help people. Hmmm....

How about recycle? Do you like to recycle? GREAT!

Do you have a bunch of old envelopes that have been sent to you from other people, businesses etc? GREAT! DON'T THROW THEM OUT!!! (pretty please?)

You can help even if you don't have much money to give (and you don't like to help others :-)!

O.K.... now just do the following....I'll tell you about the rest in just a sec.....

Just clip the canceled postage stamps from those letters, leaving a 1/4 inch border on all sides. They must be in good condition; damaged stamps are not usable.

Although commemorative stamps (state series etc) bring in more money, all stamps have a value.

The canceled stamp fundraiser for ASAP (American Syringomyelia Alliance Project Inc.) uses these canceled stamps, along with other donations, to help improve the lives of persons affected by Syringomyelia, Chiari Malformation and related disorders while they try and find a cure for these disorders.
They provide information to those affected and for others close to them, and a much needed support network and research into these disorders.

You can also donate a tax deductible gift by going to ASAP

After you save up some, mail them to:

Maynard Guss
9593 NW 26th Place
Sunrise FL 33322-2738

If you belong to a group, church, go to school, or are involved with any other organization, wouldn't it be great to get them saving and clipping too! Yah... that's what I thought!

So the next time you start to toss that envelope, take a few minutes. You'll be helping ASAP!

Those affected will thank you....

Thank you!

Until next time.....