After being diagnosed with Chiari in 2000, I decided it was time to propose to my girlfriend of six years.

I wanted to do something special, so I smuggled the engagement ring into the operating room and recruited my surgeon to help.  Despite being chewed out by the head nurse for having the ring in there, my plan was a big success.

When I came to after surgery, I found out that my surgeon had given the ring to my future wife and said, "I found this in the back of his mind."

She was ecstatic, but some members of my family were wondering why she was getting engaged to my surgeon!

By the time I left the hospital, I don't think there was anyone on staff that hadn't heard the story.

-- Steven Zellers