How do I explain to my child about chiari?!
Question: How to I explain to my 7 year old daughter that she needs to have decompression surgery?
Answers: How to I explain to my 7 year old daughter that she needs to have decompression surgery?
You can show her a picture of the brain and the spinal column.
Then take a half-blown balloon and a clear, narrow flower vase. Identify the balloon to represent the brain and the vase to represent the spinal column. ("Represent" -to resemble.)
Show her how a brain should be just sitting on top of the spinal cord. Next, partially press on the balloon to show her how a brain might appear in a malformation. (In this demonstration, the balloon should occupy the mouth of the vase and some inflated area should be within the vase.) Assure her that her condition is not a punishment, it's just how some things are (just like your eye color).
To manage the condition, a surgery has to be done. She will be put to sleep (anesthesia) and some bones will be removed because it is easier to remove the bones than to reposition the whole brain.
Things get too technical after this. Ask her if she wishes to know more, if she agrees, please have the pediatric neurosurgeon explain the procedure to her.