Finally an UPdate

The pics with me sitting is post op second op.Oxygen and staring eyes,still so drugged from theatre.Yes I went home about an hour after this was taken.
The blurry pic is the ER.70 beds jammed in an open space and everyone coming and going.No screens,no privacy and noise and screams and lights and that was an experience.
The other pic is my 45 bed ward where I went post op the first time after the shunt was placed.Side by side crammed in and in so dirty.Heaven for bacteria.Makes me wonder why they dont have more post op infections.I was glad to go home in many ways.





After my last post so much has happened.I have not been able to do this any sooner.I apologise for that.

5th March I had a Lumbar Peritoneal shunt put into my body.It runs from the lower spine to the front of my belly (on the inside) where it is supposed to drain. I came home after less than 24 hours and no drugs post op due to allergy and so slept a lot.No drugs anytime,I cant even have an aspirin or whatever your painkiller of choice is.

I had two days with NO headache and it was bliss.
My incisions were healing nicely and all seemed well.

Ok so on 18th March,Wednesday, I am back to the Dr. My head is set to explode again. A lumbar puncture that had me screaming in pain ( this is abnormal.Usually I dont move or make a sound.It was torture really) and the realization that the shunt is not draining.OMG what next.An overnight stay in the ER because there are no beds.

Back to theatre Thursday morning for a shunt revision.
I wake and he tells me , "The shunt drains outside of your body with no problems.I put it back and now wait and see'
Home after 6 hours because there IS NO BED.I was put on a hospital gurney and parked in a spare room.

Friday I dont have a headache and this is a good sign.By Saturday it is not happy again.And I cant do anymore.Yes this is the "I cannot " post for my status on Facebook.I am not able to do much on the computer for more than a few minutes at a time and so that is why I have not opened it much. It has taken me days to get this together.

Back to the surgeon yesterday.Stitches from the second op out and he says "Ok we can move the shunt to the other side of your belly" But what will that do? No idea if it will change anything .I said No
Ok so we can put one in from your head. This option was tossed out at the very start BECAUSE I dont have enough room in the area he would have to put it to not cause brain damage. I told him NO WAY!!!! He agrees because he know it will cause even more issues.He suggested it because he is running out of options.

Ok so next.........



And I got "I dont know".

Ok so this is honest.I can live with that.
So I tell him I want a scan of my lower spine to rule out other stuff and he agrees.
Yesterdays MRI is done and now I have to wait until Monday to know what is next.

My head.Well the pressure is off a little so it is not bad ALL the time BUT now I have these lovely headaches that are like a knife in the side of my head.....A bit like someone has grabbed your eyeball and is dragging it into the back of your throat.And they hit when ever and I find myself literally on the floor.A cough, a sneeze, even to go to the bathroom brings this one on.Crawl back to bed and wait it out.

Surgery is again on the horizon.I pray this one will be the last.I dont quite know yet what he will agree to do but I also pray that Someone upstairs guides the dear Dr to answers.They have to come soon.

Thinking of you all often even if I dont write

Light and Love
Tanya xxxx