TKLVR181
Level of Lemon Feather
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2005
- Messages
- 12,332
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For those of you who don't know, I was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. The latter means that my cerebral spinal fluid (that stuff your brain floats in) doesn't drain properly on it's own. When I was born, I had to have a pump and tube, called a shunt, placed in my brain and down to my stomach to drain it properly.
I've also been having pretty constant, if inconsistent pain-degree wise, headaches for the last week and a half.
So, I went to see my neurosurgeon today. Told him my symptoms, and he was immediately concerned. Right away I was given an X-ray and a ct scan and went back into the room to see him.
He came in and said that the x-ray looked fine, then said he wanted me to have a shuntogram-I recognized the name and clarified that it's where they put dye into my shunt tube and watch the flow via something like a cat scan/MRI. I asked if he suspected it the cerebral spinal fluid was flowing too slowly down the tube, causing pressure changes and pain.
He said no, he thought it was flowing too fast instead. He then showed us (Senshi, granma and I) my ct scan, and next to it a ct scan I had in 2011. My left ventricle is tiny compared to what it was! For those of you who don't know, I think the ventricle is a hole in that cerebral spinal fluid is supposed to go through.
This very seriously corroborates my doctor's theory about my shunt running too fast. And if that's true, I'm going to have to have it replaced.
Brain surgery.
I've had it thrice before-when I was born, when I was seven, and when I was 25. This is definitely a...shortened time span since I had it last, but it's a problem I've never had before.
My shuntogram is scheduled, at the moment, for the first week in November, but they're going to call me tomorrow and confirm. I'll let you all know if the date holds. I don't really know what else to say guys, except that this is just kind of a natural part of my life. I've had it several other times, and while I'm scared (and honestly a bit in shock tonight), I'm not terrified. I've done this before, I'll do it again.
I love you guys! I'll keep you updated!
I've also been having pretty constant, if inconsistent pain-degree wise, headaches for the last week and a half.
So, I went to see my neurosurgeon today. Told him my symptoms, and he was immediately concerned. Right away I was given an X-ray and a ct scan and went back into the room to see him.
He came in and said that the x-ray looked fine, then said he wanted me to have a shuntogram-I recognized the name and clarified that it's where they put dye into my shunt tube and watch the flow via something like a cat scan/MRI. I asked if he suspected it the cerebral spinal fluid was flowing too slowly down the tube, causing pressure changes and pain.
He said no, he thought it was flowing too fast instead. He then showed us (Senshi, granma and I) my ct scan, and next to it a ct scan I had in 2011. My left ventricle is tiny compared to what it was! For those of you who don't know, I think the ventricle is a hole in that cerebral spinal fluid is supposed to go through.
This very seriously corroborates my doctor's theory about my shunt running too fast. And if that's true, I'm going to have to have it replaced.
Brain surgery.
I've had it thrice before-when I was born, when I was seven, and when I was 25. This is definitely a...shortened time span since I had it last, but it's a problem I've never had before.
My shuntogram is scheduled, at the moment, for the first week in November, but they're going to call me tomorrow and confirm. I'll let you all know if the date holds. I don't really know what else to say guys, except that this is just kind of a natural part of my life. I've had it several other times, and while I'm scared (and honestly a bit in shock tonight), I'm not terrified. I've done this before, I'll do it again.
I love you guys! I'll keep you updated!
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