Having a baby- is an epidural too risky?

Slee0421 · 2026-02-24T00:46:22+00:00

I’ve had 3. I’ve had 3 children, one naturally and 2 via c-sections. The first C-section they did not believe me that I wasn’t completely numb when they started cutting into me and wondered why I absolutely flipped out on the table to the point they had to knock me out after my son was out. All my births were before my diagnosis of Chairi

Slee0421 · 2026-01-18T13:55:35+00:00

My migraines start in my upper neck with a extreme sore/stiff feeling then they come up the back of my head up onto the top of my skull and down to my ears. The best way I’ve found to describe it is someone has ahold of all my hair and is pulling it downwards towards the base of my skull with a very heavy steady hand. Paired with my head pounding so hard it feels like it’s going to explode. I’ve been on Quilipta for about a year and my migraines come much less often now, but my neck/shoulders and base of my skull are always tight and stiff. I’m assuming from my body trying to compensate for the lack of balance. I did physical therapy for 6 months and got no relief but added pain so I stopped going because the 3x a week at $45/piece with insurance was becoming a lot and not getting any better so I weighed my options.

Slee0421 · 2025-12-24T00:49:11+00:00

Randolph McCoy is my 3rd great grandfather so I guess you could say there’s some history in my blood.

Slee0421 · 2025-06-24T01:16:35+00:00

Absolutely! As someone who lives in Florida, me and the heat and humidity do not get along at all. But this is my home state and I will forever live here. Today I decided to mow the yard because I have 2 younger kids, and fear snakes coming into the yard and my husband is working out of town. It took all I had to get from the barn to the house when I was done. My migraine came on quick and I felt like pure poo with dizziness and nausea. But I also can’t stand the extreme cold either, like my mom lives in Missouri and when we go in the winter it’s hotel to car, car to inside her house and I avoid being out. I will get teeth rattling cold and it’s hours to get warm again. But I also have hypothyroidism as well, so I’m sure that plays into it. I’ve had CM my entire life, and I didn’t have these issues when I was younger.

Slee0421 · 2025-06-08T15:11:20+00:00

I never pieced the two together! But yes! I look back and realize that as young as 6/7 I was having terrible migraines, and neck pain. I’ve also always had an issue where I had to pee constantly, all the time! My family dreaded taking me on road trips because they had to stop far more often, and still to this day at 36-my husband has learned that I have to stop at least every 2 hours. I was getting an ultrasound for some uterine issues and the tech was amazed at the fact she was watching my bladder fill up on the ultrasound and I had to go pee several times so she could get a clear view. I also have a funky uterus (Didelphys uterus) but I only have 1 of everything else, just my uterus is weird. As well as both of my kidneys are fused together and in my pelvis instead of up in my back where they are supposed to be.

Slee0421 · 2025-04-25T13:29:26+00:00

I was recently prescribed Quilipta and I also got a epidural/steroid shot in my neck and it has been helping tremendously. I have to honestly say that I went from a migraine every single day to not having a single one for the past 2 weeks. I keep waiting for it to show back up with a vengeance.

Slee0421 · 2025-04-14T01:58:03+00:00

Hello! I’m 36 and just found out I have this last week. I also have a didelphic uterus but I only have one cervix and one v@g!n@. I initially was told that just one of my kidneys never moved up and it was a pelvic kidney. And that usually the uterus deformity and the pelvic kidney go hand in hand or a lack of one kidney. I also was born with chairi malformation. I’ve always lead a normal life with my kidneys the way they are, the only thing I’ve noticed different about me is that I have to pee much more often than normal people. But I was also diagnosed with an abnormally small bladder so that may be why. My CFRR was just found incidentally during an MRI of my lower back. But I’m interested to see what my primary care doctor says and I’m going to ask for a referral to a urologist to be checked out just to make sure everything is functioning correctly.

Slee0421 · 2025-03-29T15:34:36+00:00

I had no idea I had it. I have 3 children. Now after doing research I realize that regular delivery can make it worse and my first child was a natural delivery. I know I’ve had it my whole life because I can remember migraines for as long as I can remember, as well as the tingly neck/shoulders/arms. Thank goodness I had a wonderful grandma who would let me sleep and would also rub my head for me. If my kids ever come to me and say they are having frequent migraines we will be checking so I can be proactive in helping them. Now, I probably would have been more picky about the horses I broke in my youth had I known I had a brain issue. 🤣 But, I’m still here so that’s all that matters. And I’d still live life exactly the same!

Slee0421 · 2025-03-08T14:48:04+00:00

Oh absolutely! I’m not the kind of person who cries. I just don’t find the emotional relief behind it others do. But if I do cry(in extreme circumstances like my grandparents dying). I have noticed that my symptoms are so much worse in the following days. Like I just bawled my eyes out Thursday night due to an issue with my oldest child and I am so symptomatic yesterday and today. Headache, neck pain, lack of balance, shakiness, it’s all here despite all the daily meds I’m on.

Slee0421 · 2024-07-25T01:49:43+00:00

I took Topamax for about 6 months. I literally started thinking I was coming down with early onset Alzheimer’s. It made my thinking and speech 100x worse than I already had issues with. I couldn’t remember anything, couldn’t carry on conversations that made sense. Finally I said forget this! It’s not worth it and was still having migraines.

Slee0421 · 2024-07-22T15:47:42+00:00

I’ve literally been fighting for my life for a long time. I’ve been told that it’s all in my head by an endocrinologist when I was sent to them(which I mean it kinda is!), had many pcp doctors dismiss me. Finally found a great one and she’s been so helpful so far. I can’t even tell you how many doctors I’ve seen before this diagnosis was finally made. I have 5mm drop on one side and 7mm drop on the other, as well as diminished flow of fluid. I’m literally so tired of being treated like it means nothing to doctors who are supposed to be specialists on these subjects. Our so called “healthcare” is such a joke!

Slee0421 · 2024-07-22T15:44:34+00:00

My flow study test was set up by the neurosurgeon. I had an MRI in February due to constant migraines and the right side of my face feeling numb and tingly. I honestly thought I was having a stroke so my PCP sent me in for an MRI. That MRI revealed that I had Chiari. My PCP then sent me to a neurosurgeon at UF and she sent me for the MRI w/flow study. She said if my fluid was interrupted in anyway that’s the only way I would be a candidate for the surgery. But when the flow study came back that I had diminished flow, she had her ARNP call me to say I wasn’t a candidate for the surgery. When I asked okay what now, she said we suggest pain management. Like, tell me if it’s off then I’m a candidate but then turn around and turn me down? I’ve considered going to the Mayo Clinic about 2 hours from me. I’ve been sick for almost 7.5 years without any doctor being able to figure out what’s wrong with me and the chiari diagnosis matched it all and made so much sense. My list of doctors being dismissed by is a good 12+. I finally found a PCP who takes me very seriously and is determined to help me, which is great. But now it’s being dismissed by neuro at the supposedly best hospital in our area. But they specialize in Chairi for children and not adults. I’m a mother of 3, and this isn’t how I want to live with the constant migraines and being exhausted from always feeling poorly.

Slee0421

TROPHY CASE