-
My Shunt Surgery – Revision
In June of 2018, I had my first brain surgery for the placement of a VP shunt. While I have no regrets having this surgery, I ...
-
More About Shunts – Adjustments & Revisions
I wish I could say that once a shunt is in, life becomes normal again and all symptoms become a distant memory. While that can be true, and...
-
Count It All Joy
Earlier this month, I had my second brain surgery. I’ll save the details for another post, but overall it went very well. One might even go as far as to say it was successful – I haven’t had any high pressure symptoms since. The recovery process on the other hand was a different story. While on the surface, all is technically going well, there’s still so much more to recovery that never seems to be seen or heard. Take the post-surgery depression for example. In all honesty, I don’t even want to call it that because I know how much worse it could truly be. There is just no doubt…
-
Surgical Options for Intracranial Hypertension
For those of us living with Intracranial Hypertension, it can be frustrating to hear time and time again that there is no cure. And though it is true that nothing has been invented specifically to treat IIH, we do have options in how we can manage this bizarre and painful condition. While many may find relief from medication or even natural remedies, others find hope through surgery. Now before we begin discussing the surgical options for IH, I would like to make it clear that I have only undergone one of these surgeries. Still, I feel it is important to provide all the information I can in regards to managing…
-
Stenting for Intracranial Hypertension
*Read Disclaimers Here* While Intracranial Hypertension may not have an official cure, there are still a few treatment options available that have been known to relieve symptoms. One of these options is a surgical procedure known as stenting. Our brains contain large veins called ‘venous sinuses’ which are responsible for draining blood and spinal fluid from our head, through the jugular in our neck, and to our heart. The narrowing of these passageways is known as venous sinus stenosis, stenosis meaning ‘narrowing’. Once these veins narrow, CSF flow becomes impaired, causing intracranial pressure to increase, also known as Intracranial Hypertension. However, the cause of this narrowing can also be a…
-
My Shunt Surgery – Healing
Apparently when my neurosurgery team told me, “If you feel anything at all, let us know.” They meant, “It can take even eight weeks before your body adjusts to the shunt.” So by three weeks post-surgery, I was back at the hospital once again begging for relief. As I stood hunched against the corner of the elevator trying to stretch out the pressure, who do you think was to enter the elevator that Friday morning but my neurologist – my God-sent angel – the only one who could ever convince my neurosurgeons to help me. And despite ridiculous feuds with my neurosurgery team that day, my shunt was adjusted and…
-
My Shunt Surgery – Recovery
I remember the moment I woke up in recovery and was told I just had shunt surgery. Part of me felt like I was still in and out of consciousness in the ER. Part of me thought I had passed out from the pain, and they had performed an emergency shunt surgery. Within a few minutes though, my husband and his sister were at my side, and I began to remember that it was all planned. Nurses came by to take bedside X-rays, and I rested, soaking in the new information that was now a part of my life: I had a shunt. I had a medical device inside of…
-
My Shunt Surgery
June 7, 2018 I laid on my side on the ER bed for the fifth time that year. My husband sat across from me. The anesthesiologist sat behind me. My pressure had once again been uncontrollable, and all medications had failed. It was time for yet another spinal tap. I honestly didn’t even care anymore. None of this was new, and nothing could possibly feel worse than what I was already feeling. I just wanted relief. As the physician inserted that 3 ½ inch needle, I did my best to breathe and pray, waiting for her to announce the opening pressure. Instead, she grabbed the extension. The next sound within…
-
All About VP Shunt Surgery
*** Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am not a medical professional. All medical information is based off of personal experience only. If you are experiencing a medical issue or emergency, please seek a health professional first and foremost. *** What is a VP Shunt? A VP Shunt is a medical device used to help divert excess spinal fluid from around the brain into the abdomen where it can be reabsorbed. To get a bit more technical, VP is short for “Ventriculo-Peritoneal”. The shunt is inserted into the “ventricles” or cavities of the brain where the CSF (cerebral-spinal fluid) is then transferred to the “peritoneal” (abdominal) region of the…
