I didn’t quite spot my treatment failure this time, at least not as I would have liked to. My previous shunt, a Sophysa Polaris (A.K.A. Sophy) was placed on 23 April 2022. If only shunts came with a warranty or refund policy. Given their high failure rate, I suppose...
Hydrocephalus
VP shunt obstruction leads to brain surgery #8.
Trusting your gut This is the ONE thing that I‘ve relied on the most. More importantly, I listened to my body. As I told Dr T, I don’t have a medical degree, but it’s the only thing I have to guide me. After having a shunt patency study on...
Shunt patency study is on the cards
A week-long headache turned into dizziness and lightheadedness that felt very much like vertigo, with little to no appetite. Feeling like the world is spinning when you’re literally standing still, sitting and/or even laying down, is annoying and unnerving. A feeling akin to being on a rollercoaster, or out...
What a whirlwind affair these last few years have been…
Despite this long and winding road I’ve travelled, from: 🎯My rehab goal: To get back to employment in 2025🤔 TO ANYONE ELSE IN THIS SITUATION : While others may give up on you, you owe it to yourself to keep going❣️You are NOT “unemployable”. You are NOT “useless”. You...
Brain injury: The missing piece you need to think about
If you’ve been diagnosed with Hydrocephalus and had brain surgery to treat it, does any of this resonate with you? If so, have you ever considered and looked into the effects of brain injury? More specifically, the cognitive effects. If you already have, this post might not be for...
My tired is tired..! Yet this post image, is my constant prayer
There some things in life that no one can prepare you for… For example: Take a diagnosis like Hydrocephalus, an incurable condition, at a pivotal time in your life. An interruption to your norm with brain surgery being the ONLY treatment option, for the rest of your days. It...
Faking being OK when you’re physically not, is far harder than faking being sick.
As someone diagnosed with Hydrocephalus and living with a brain injury, this is a sore point, obviously. People don’t necessarily have to say they don’t believe your symptoms; their actions (or even inaction) speak loudly and clear enough. Seeing beyond an invisible illness or injury, is a difficult one,...
Brain Injury: The invisible disability.
Hydrocephalus and brain injury won’t define my outcome, I reserve that right!
Cognitive impairment is NOT the same as intellectual disability
It seems common for people to (incorrectly) assume that brain injury, causing cognitive impairment, is the same as intellectual disability. The extent of the injury will be dependent on the location of injury. In saying this, I do not presume to speak for the next person with a brain...
Incidental MRI finding: Highlighting what lurks beneath the surface.
Despite hearing my surgeon speak, providing medical information, sound no longer filtered through my eardrum. After some time (I’m not sure how long), I drifted slowly back to the sound of his voice. I heard Dr Tollesson half thinking out loud; “How do you get a patient not to...