I am sorry your message is not on the evening news!

The current move toward "managed" health care has produced an
underlying assumption that whatever it is that someone may go to the
doctor for, will be "cured" and require no long term follow up care.

The proponents of this kind of care have made allowances for the
likes of allergies and other sorts of "common" ailments, but the fact
remains that there is no underlying way in a managed care system to
treat the likes of follow upappointments and brains scans on an on-
going basis. With the right doctor he will see to it that he does not
lose track, but the fact remains, if you are "cured", you (and your
file) get buried somewhere in a (hospital and doctor's) system unless
you the patient remain vigilant, or disaster sets in.

I am now into my 22nd year (post op) from 2 (of the earlist) shunt
operations (to drain something called an arachnoid cyst in, on, who
knows!, the 3rd ventricle of my brain).

Unique at the time the whole concept of a using a shunt for such a
purpose was so uncertain, and my condition following my 2nd operation
so precarious, that it took my neurologist 15 months before he would
allow a follow up appointment to go for more than 60 days. Today I
see the doctor ervery 5 months (or so) with follow up MRI's every 2-3
years depending on how the doctor feels about me. It took the
internet to make me appreciate how fortunate I have been in that I
have needed no further surgery as well as the fact that my
neurologist is really only a phone call away if I feel he needs to be
contacted about something or I should need a refill on my
prescription (of dilatin).

I cannot stress the importance in re establishing the link with this
doctor. I know I had gone for a longer period than "normal" between a
few appointments because of holidays, vacations, but always made sure
that the link with my doctor has never been broken.

I wish you luck.

Bill