Help Alena's Brain Surgery & Recovery!
Help Alena for Brain Surgery, Medical Supplies, Medical Travel, Special Testing, etc!
Hi guys! My name is Alena Figueroa, I am 22 years old. I have been diagnosed with Craniocervical instability, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Chiari Malformation type 1, IIH, progressive scoliosis... And I will be having surgery to help my brain conditions and rare abnormalities!
This started out with intense stomach pains and chronic migraines that went underlooked by doctors because I was "too young" to have anything serious... little did they know, it was serious... doctors continued with medications after medications and failed treatments, conservative measures, everything!
Then I got a brain MRI last summer showing my Chiari Malformation which lead me very quickly to my other conditions like my cranial instability (meaning my skull doesn't sit on my neck the right way and I would need titanium to hold it together).
My physical condition progressively feels worse, from my issue retaining nutrition and hydration to the chronic migraines daily, sudden limb weakness and intense nerve pain...as well as terrible motion sickness causing me to vomit or have severe nausea every car ride or being in elevators.
This is the hardest thing I've ever had to battle, I desperately need this surgery... which is why we are having it very soon!
My recommended treatment is to have a craniocervical fusion from my skull to C2 with a lumbar drain (possibly decompressing as well);
This means my neurosurgeon and his team will shave and cut open the back of my head, more specifically my skull bone and neck.
I'll get a titanium plate for my skull, rods, and screws drilled and fused to hold my skull in place and provide stability to my c2!
Lastly, I will have a lumbar drain placement for 2-3 days to drain the excess fluid from my brain.
This will give me proper flow to help my symptoms of Intracranial Hypertension/Pseudotumor cerebri!
(my brain acts like there is a tumor giving me terrible symptoms, mostly making excess csf fluid and causing horrible pressure! Draining the excess fluid and diverting it properly would help tremendously!)
My recovery will take time. I’m expected to stay in ICU for about 3 days. Staples come out 2 weeks after surgery.
It will take me months to get back on my feet, hopefully not super long... but with the support of my caring family, donation page, physical therapy and mobility aids, I am hopeful!
Just the idea of feeling better quality in my body and enjoying the things I've lost touch with, make me very committed to this recovery! (':
All of the donations will be going towards medical supplies (transport chair/walker, bath pillow, shower chair, hot and cold wraps, upright walker, blood pressure monitor, natural peppermint tummy drops, i.e. mobility tools - woohoo!) This will help provide mobility and stability for the harder days to come.
I will also be needing to do special imaging that my insurance won’t cover, as well as seeing an out of state doctor regarding other spinal conditions not taken care of in Nevada after my recovery. The funds will help cover travel, accommodations, etc while out of state.
Anything that is donated will be appreciated to the greatest extent!!! <3
I hope to recover as best as possible, even if that takes a good amount of time, hard work, and consideration to more surgeries!
thank you so much again! words of encouragement are highly recommended and also greatly appreciated!!! <3
PLS SHARE POST <3
Pictures for reference what my titanium hardware will look like!
CHIARI AWARENESS 
For more information and awareness;
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ehlers-danlos-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20362125
https://www.aans.org/en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Chiari-Malformation