Upright MRI

We are learning over and over again that going to NY was NOT a waste and that God had many reasons for us to be up there. One of the reasons was for me to get an upright MRI. I have had 2 brain MRI’s, and I have posted the picture with explanations. The difference the upright MRI shows is the effect of gravity and what my brain and some of my spine looks like when I am upright.

After pre-surgical testing on Monday, I was scheduled for the MRI. We got there around 1 and were expecting it to take 30 minutes tops... Or at least that is what the tech said... He explained everything, I sat in the machine and he started the MRI. No big deal, right... WRONG! After he finished the first series, he came over the intercom and said, "You need to sit really still and not move at all because this one was REALLY blurry. We are going to have to do it again." I didn't think I was moving, but maybe I was breathing too much. So he started again and I tried to breath less and more shallow. After it was over, he came into the room and said, "It was even blurrier this time!" He readjusted some things and tried again! This went on for like 30-45 minutes straight! I told the tech, "I am NOT moving! I don't know why this is coming out blurry!" He readjusted a few more things and went out of the room.

At this point we were all really frustrated and confused, so I just closed my eyes and prayed, "Lord, I know this is silly to ask, but please help me sit still! I am trying but he says I am not! And this is really starting to hurt, so please let it work this time!" I kept praying and concentrating on relaxing and trying not to think about how badly it was hurting! Then the tech came back in and said, "That was perfect! What did you do differently?" I said, "I prayed the whole time!" My mom and I had also noticed how low I had settled down and mentioned it to him... He said, "I noticed the same thing in your films and I was coming in here to raise the seat up." He had to raise the seat 6 INCHES to get me back to where I had started!!! In 30 minutes I shrunk 6 inches!!! We were shocked!!! He went back to the computer and finished the scans (normal, extension, and flexion)!

We came back out and I went to the computer to look at them... I asked him if I was looking at the one where I was leaning my head back and he laughed and said "Nope! That is when you are sitting up straight!" He continued to show me the other scans... Again, WE WERE SHOCKED!!! My odontoid bone was sticking into my brainstem REALLY far! I had NO CSF flow at the base of my brain, anterior (front) OR posterior (back)! My esophagus is extremely bent and almost completely closed! My neck was SO compressed! My Chiari was worse! And my spinal cord was too posterior in some places and too anterior in others! This MRI looked NOTHING like the supine MRI I had in December! If I hadn't been present at both, I would have thought they were done on two completely different people!!!

I think we are all still in shock at this whole situation… This was not at all what we were prepared for! We had prepared for months to go to NY for me to have surgery and then come home almost two weeks later for recovery! I must say, it is extremely weird to be back here, especially when I go to school! It is the strangest mixture of emotions I have ever had! But we know that God has a bigger plan for all of this! Once again, God is showing us how much He is in control and giving us “breadcrumbs” showing that we are on the right path!

Sitting up "straight":

Leaning forward:
Leaning backwards:

Tonight mom called me and told me to read Psalm 22 because she found a verse that God had written for me. I was reading the passage and came along verse 14. It says, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.” Oh how I truly feel this way! I continued to read farther down in the passage and came upon verses 19 and 24 which say, “But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.” “For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” Over the past year and a half, this has become my prayer! I am constantly praying for strength and grace from God! I know there is NO POSSIBLE WAY I could’ve gotten this far without Him and I would NOT like to try to get through it without Him! I am always amazed at how He has worked in my life and done incredible things, but ONLY in His perfect timing! Everything is done on HIS time, not on my time, and according to HIS plan, NOT mine! His plan for my life is so much bigger and more amazing than any of the plans that I had! I am excited to see how this cancellation in our plan is going to work into HIS plan!

Thank you so much for your prayers, support and love! I appreciate it more than any of you could ever know!

Love,
Mackenzie