The aim of this blog or website will always remain to create and raise awareness of Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia throughout the UK and beyond.
It is my aim to provide a place where people just like me can come to to gain more information about Chiari and Syringomyelia and how to get treatment and to share their own experiences, fears, advice and general support.

It is important to understand that Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia do not just affect us physically, but can also have a detrimental effect upon our general well being and our ability to cope with the stresses and strains of our daily lives and that of our family and friends also. This can often lead to bouts of depression and anxiety, where a simply finding someone that knows what you are going through can help enormously.

This is a place for Chiarians and Carers alike to be able to communicate with others just like us, with people who totally understand how we feel today and will feel tomorrow, who will forgive us for not being as positive as we should be and support us to see the positivity, and somewhere to have a rant or a moan about how poorly we feel treated by those that should be more aware and should be there for us.

This blog will not be a success without input from us all. So please help with your experiences as much as you can.

I personally found a wealth of support from a UK forum before I went in for my decompression surgery in April 2009. Without the help and support that I was offered from that forum, I am not sure that I would have coped so well. Many more members joined since then, and have continued to find the same support and advice.

I did what most Chiarians do before I was officially diagnosed and after, I "Googled" Chiari. I found lots of content on the web, telling me about different prognosis, different treatments and to be quite honest I scared myself half to death in doing so.

Then I found people just like me, ordinary people from all walks of life, similar and different circumstances and at various stages of diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Please feel free to visit www.chiari.co.uk and say hello. I am sure that you will be given a very warm welcome, and then find the support of some quite amazing people.

There is a lot of positivity, and a lot of support waiting to be given freely.

Don't worry, we aren't a bunch of tree huggers that sit round in groups and chant. we are real people with one goal - to raise awareness and offer support to each other whilst we learn to cope with the cards that we have been dealt.

Thank you.

Chris

Other related topics:
Chiari and Syringomyelia symptoms
Government petition to raise awareness
Chiari malformation and Syringomyelia not listed?