@resawaller - hoping that @david33 @tracyeylens @luckygirl @duke77 will have some input for you on what has helped the chiari.

I would encourage you to call your surgeon to chat before your surgery and talk through your concerns, resawaller. I had a lot of fear and consternation about a surgery I had planned 7 years ago (totally different type, for prolapse), and I was shocked that the surgeon spent about an hour talking to me on the phone one evening 2 days before the surgery when I called (I think I called his office mid to late afternoon, and he called back in the evening). It helped tremendously with my peace of mind going forward.

What do you think of the idea of having a phone discussion with your surgeon?