----- Original Message -----
From: "christine3438" <chris.taylor68@...>
To: <hydrocephalus@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 7:04 AM
Subject: [hydrocephalus] VP Shunt surgery aftercare...............


> Hi Everybody!
>
> I've recently had a VP shunt inserted (4 Sept 07).........and live in
> the UK..........I'm 38, not one of the younger person who get
> shunted!!
>

I am 40 so you are not the only "young" one in the group type thing.


> I've been discharged from hospital with minimal advice on living with
> a shunt, so any tips you could give on what I should or shouldn't be
> doing would be so much appreciated.
>

They never gave me any advice about it either when they put mine in on May
25th
So far they said that if the symtoms of not standing and not walking come
back, we know the shunt isn't working. And any MRI's will throw it out of
whack so they have to reset if you go thru that.
I just don't like the idea of it being in my head for the rest of my life


> At the moment I'm still not feeling too good, yet have no follow-up
> appointment until February 2008 (our Health system works so
> differently here)...........so in those months I could be doing lots
> of things not advisable to be doing with a shunt.
>
With me getting sick bothers me, especially coughing, and I keep getting
broncitis which throws me into a coughing fit and a horrid headache
so.....not sure if you'd have the same results but I figured I would warn
you about that just in case. Other than that, I don't think I have come
across anything that I can't do but then again, I am the one that sleeps all
the time, goes to town only once a week and my neuro -oncologist put me on
lyrica but today I couldn't walk straight after getting up. I am going to
work on praying that in the next week it levels out or something, trying to
make sure i do the time to make sure it is working per say.

I don't know how to answer your question of how long to be lively again.
Guess it depends on you.
Me, each day is a baby step. Lately I get up at 5.30 or today it was 7am and
I am not a morning person but if I don't get up to doing things, I end up
tired and just want to crawl back in bed.
So far I think I have one more chemo.
I had a medulloblastoma that wasn't cancerous but have gone thru chemo and
radiation already, the chemo about 3 times now.
Just hate to get sick, makes me more yuck.
What is A/C?

The surgeries, I ended up with a brain biopsy first and I was awake for
that, yuck, so I hope and pray too no more surgeries

If you have any questions, ask away. I wish I had the answers though but I
can try
Melissa

Medulloblastoma, a ten year old child brain tumor, and you wonder why I
don't grow up. LOL
Found Jan 2007,
Started not walking straight Sept 2006
diagnosed May 2007
chemo and radiation June 2007, had 3 rounds and one round with cisplatin