NAS Lemoore Golden Eagle Newspaper Article!

Here is my article!  I love the title!!!  If you read this Tammy, THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping me raise awareness!  You did a FANTASTIC JOB!!!

Warning: Humor may be hazardous to your illness

By Tammy Eskew

Golden Eagle Staff Writer

Just a few short months after Amy Valentino’s 30^th birthday and as a newly single mom, she underwent major brain surgery at Stanford University and despite the odds against her, lived to tell about it.

“The day of the surgery was beyond scary. When I was woken up by the docs for a round of tests after the surgery, they asked me what year it was. I said, “2045”, giggled and said, “just kidding” and passed back out,” explained Valentino with a big grin on her face. “The nurse told me she never heard someone crack a joke right after major brain surgery and that my mental clarity was beyond amazing for it being so soon after the surgery. So what I learned from that is apparently, the part of my brain that they removed was not responsible for my sense of humor! Thank God.”

Valentino was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Chiari (kee-AHR-ee) Malformation which causes brain tissue to protrude into your spinal canal. When the cerebellum is pushed into the upper spinal canal, it can interfere with the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that protects your brain and spinal cord.

This impaired circulation of CSF can lead to the blockage of signals transmitted from your brain to your body (like breathing and the beating of your heart), or to a buildup of spinal fluid in the brain or spinal cord (which carries the risk of becoming paralyzed).

Chiari patients experience painful headaches, neck pain, tingling in the hands and feet, dizziness, vision problems and in rare cases, chest pain and abnormal breathing. There is no cure for the condition and surgery is a last resort used to reduce symptoms. Many patients do not make it through the surgery, so when Valentino was told that her surgery was now medically necessary, she experienced a tidal wave of emotions and through it all kept her sense of humor.

“With Chiari you put on a brave face everyday. Not because people aren't there to support you but because if you put on any other face, you risk breaking down completely. And no matter how awesome a person you may be (which lets be honest, I am pretty freakin awesome...lol) nobody wants to be around someone who is on the verge of tears at any given moment,” explained Valentino.

For six weeks leading up to the surgery, Valentino struggled with the evil “What ifs,” the dreaded “Why me” and the misguided “Seize the day.” She put on a brave face to the outside world, but was full of turmoil and uncertainty on the inside.

“It seems that the “What Ifs” can quickly control your entire life. The one thing I refused to do is let it control me. The “Why Me” can sneak up and get you when you least expect it. When you “seize each day” knowing full well you are facing a serious life or death surgery, you are reminded of the biggest “What If” of all. What if I don’t make it through this surgery?” explained Valentino. “The reality is sometimes things just suck! There is no reason, no magic answer. The only answer is that it is happening and I have two choices: I can sit and complain about how unfair life is or I can put on my big girl panties and deal with it.”

The biggest fear of all for Valentino was leaving her beloved children, Niko, 9 years and Kylie, 7 years, motherless. It was because of them that she faced her illness, embraced life and focused on all her blessings.

“I am truly blessed. I have the most amazing children on the face of the planet. I have family that will stand by me and do anything that I need. I am surrounded by friends who constantly amaze me with their love and friendship. I work for a company (NAS Lemoore Lincoln Military Housing) that is full of the most caring people on the planet and who have stepped up and offered their help and support. My boss would give the shirt off his back to help a fellow employee,” said a grateful Valentino.

Valentino was surrounded by family, friends and co-workers, including her boss and his wife before she was wheeled into surgery. Valentino successfully recovered from the surgery and returned back to work within an unheard of five weeks.

“I truly felt blessed having my entourage there. I’m not kidding. I had so many people there which helped ease my fears because everyone was cracking jokes and talking about good times,” explained Valentino. “When I got home from the hospital, in my living room was a brand new recliner with a blanket and gift cards from my co-workers. I had been trying to save up for one because I knew it would help with my recovery, but I ran out of time. What a wonderful surprise!”

Recovery was difficult, painful and not possible without the love and support of friends and family. However, the journey is not over for Valentino.

“I faced and recovered from a horrible surgery only to have the doctors tell me they "hope" I will be ok. That "hopefully" my quality of life will be ok. That "hopefully" I will not need repeat procedures and something called "brain slumping" (yes, it is as bad as it sounds),” explained Valentino. “At the same time, I have also been blessed with having Chiari Malformation. It may not be your standard "blessing" and at times it is harder than I can even put into words, but it has taught me more about life than your average 30's something adult has the opportunity to learn.”

It takes a lot of courage, perseverance and resilience to be able to take a bad situation and turn it into something positive, but that is exactly what Valentino does each and every day. She truly is an inspiration to those around her.

“You have to choose your attitude. At the end of the day, I cannot change what is happening. I can’t wish it away or even pray it away. The truth is that I have to deal with this. I have to stay as strong as possible for myself and for my kids. I have to learn that being strong doesn’t mean being happy all the time. It means doing the best I can with what I have,” explained Valentino.

What she has is a voice and a great sense of humor. Laughter truly is the best medicine. Valentino wants to use her voice to help spread the word about Chiari. Not a lot is known about the condition and so much research is needed to help spread awareness. The Conquer Chiari Walk Across America is a series of local awareness and fundraising walks held across the country on the same day. On Sept. 17^th, a 5K walk will be held in Irvine, California at the Arnold O. Beckman High School at 9 a.m. to help raise funds towards Chiari research.

“It’s the first time they have had a walk in CA. I want to help raise more money for awareness so that they can figure it out. The earlier the diagnosis, the better. How amazing it would be to have a cure for this? Most people have never even heard the word Chiari, let alone know what it is. And there are so many out there who have Chiari and need support,” explained Valentino. “I want to be the positive story they read about. The story that gives them hope because at the end of the day the only thing we have is hope. If I can reach at least one person in the Valley then I will be happy. So keep an eye out in the papers or maybe even the news. You might see my face! Because after all, I am kinda a big deal!”