A Vertebral Artery Dissection Don't List

I had a major cerebellar stroke as a result of a vertebral artery dissection. My doctors gave me a list of things to NOT do during the first six months while the artery was healing. Mine didn't heal in six months, but here's the list:

- Hyperextend my neck back
- Have my hair washed in a shampoo bowel at a salon
- Be in a car wreck (as though I would have control of that)
- Ride roller coasters
- Play contact sports
- Paint ceilings
- Most importantly: NEVER see a chiropractor

None of the doctors could demonstrate exactly what they meant by hyperextend, but I got the point. I was afraid I could never look up at the stars again. Aside from hyperextension and getting my hair washed at a salon, I wasn't worried about avoiding the other don'ts. To this day, and going forward, I will never lean back and put my head in a shampoo bowel. I stand and lean forward. My stylist doesn't mind as she has other clients who do the same, but for different reasons.

There's a chiropractic office near my house. Their roadside signage reads "We accept ALL cases". It really irritates me. I want to go in and challenge them by saying "would you take me?" No chiropractor in their right mind would, or should, touch someone who's had a vertebral artery dissection. That goes for carotid artery dissections too.

Meanwhile, at the six month appointment with my neurologist, he said I could "resume normal activities and live a normal life" and do all of the above - with the exception of seeing a chiropractor. Why could I now do these things after six months? According to my last CT scan (I've had six) my left vertebral artery was determined to be "markedly diminutive and abnormal" and has not changed since the first CT scan. Great, it's still occluded. On a side note, it cracks me up that the radiologist chose the word diminutive; small would have sufficed. The neurologist has no idea why the artery hasn't healed nor if it ever will. According to him, only 1% of artery dissections don't heal. Par for the course considering artery dissections are so rare; vertebral more so than carotid. Considering it hasn't healed, and aside from not seeing a chiropractor, I'm clueless as to why I can resume "normal" activities.