----- Original Message -----
From: "cnewmann" <cnewmann@...>
To: <hydrocephalus@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:55 PM
Subject: [hydrocephalus] A newbee here


> Hi everyone.
>
> I am new here and hope this group includes adults.

Hey there. Welcome. I'm Sean, age 39. Had my shunt for almost 39 years. Yes
it's packed with adults. The list, that is, not my shunt.

> I had a brain
> aneurysm three months ago and developed hydrocephalus. I have a
> Medtronic programable shunt.

Fancy. I wonder if I could get one next time.
But I hav a standard and I don't even know the make and model.

> I thought it would be nice to talk to others with shunts.

Well I'm here. Dumb, ugly, but friendly.

> An aside, my three year old grandson, who lives with me, also has a
> shunt. He had brain surgery last year for a hypothalamus Hammartoma
> and developed hydrocephalus after the second surgery.

Wow. Little Zophie just turned 6 yesderday. She's not giving me any
grandchildren in the near future.

> I will be 60 years old this month and live in Alabama. I work
> fulltime with the State of Alabama as an accountant.

Way to go! Oh wait. 3 months ago. Well let's hope you can stay on the job.
For some of us, it's very hard to hold a job. As I say, the only thing
harder than GETTING a job is KEEPING it.
As such I receive a disability income each month through the Province of
Ontario. It's not much but we get by.
I do volunteer work at the public school where my daughter attends because
it's low pressure (partly because they don't have to pay me)
and my wife and I both look after little Zophie. And each other. She was
REALLY taken aback the first time she saw me without a shirt on, with all
my... service marks.... but she got used to it. What else. happy birthday to
you too!

And on this long holiday weekend I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

-Ugly Sean