The reality of Living with Chiari Malformation

Chiari malformation is basically when part of your brain decides it’s tired of the whole “staying inside the skull” expectation and starts slipping downward into the spinal canal. Doctors describe it as a structural abnormality; Della would describe it as your cerebellum trying to Irish‑exit your cranium.

It’s not common, but it’s also not rare enough to feel special about — the medical equivalent of finding out your favorite serum has been discontinued again. Some people have it and never know. Others get the full bingo card: headaches, dizziness, balance issues, numbness, swallowing problems, and the kind of neck pain that makes you question every life choice, including the time you cut your own bangs.

what chiari feels like

Imagine:

• A headache that shows up specifically when you sneeze, cough, or dare to exist too enthusiastically.
• Your balance acting like it’s had three glasses of wine on an empty stomach.
• Your hands tingling like they’re trying to send Morse code.
• Your body deciding that swallowing is now an optional skill.

It’s the kind of condition that makes you say, “Is this neurological or is this just my personality now?”

The Plot Twist: Types of Chiari

There are multiple types, because of course there are — life never gives you just one version of a problem.

• Type I: The “surprise!” version. Often shows up in adulthood, sometimes after an MRI you got for something completely unrelated, like checking if your sinuses are haunted.
• Type II: Usually tied to spina bifida and shows up early in life.
• Type III & IV: The rare, severe ones — the medical equivalent of the limited‑edition skincare drop no one actually wants.

Treatment: The Choose‑Your‑Own‑Adventure

Depending on symptoms, treatment ranges from:

• “We’ll just watch it” — the medical version of ignoring your starter until it bubbles out of spite.
• Medication — mostly for pain.
• Surgery — where they literally make more room in your skull. It’s called decompression, but it feels like the universe saying, “Have you tried turning your head off and on again?”

learning to live with the unchosen

Because Chiari malformation is exactly the kind of chaotic, inconvenient, strangely poetic condition that fits right into my “random life inventory from sourdough to daddy issues.”

It’s messy.
It’s unpredictable.

It forces me to renegotiate my relationship with my own body — the same way I renegotiate boundaries with my dad or my curls or my skincare routine.

It’s the kind of thing I didn’t choose, but I’ve learned to live with, laugh at, and occasionally rant about while elbow‑deep in dough.

And in true Della fashion, it’s become another reminder that I don’t have a cohesive narrative. I’m just improvising — brain, boundaries, bread, and all.