There are so many what ifs with Hydrocephalus. What if I need further brain surgery? What if my short term memory doesn’t improve? What if I don’t recover from surgery? What if something goes wrong during surgery? What if my shunt/ETV fails? What if I don’t recognise the signs or symptoms? What if I lose…
I hate taking medication but more importantly, I hate that I have to REMEMBER to take it. My memory is terrible, as is the case with most people who have Hydrocephalus and brain surgery. It’s not the same as “Oh, I’m getting old and can’t remember stuff anymore”. This is a literal black hole/Bermuda triangle…
“Whether the weather be hot, whether the weather be cold, whether the weather, whatever the weather, whether you like it or not…” Anonymous A few years back, my family and I visited our relatives in Brisbane, Australia. It was extremely hot and the first week I suffered to the point where I thought I was literally going…
8 years today exactly…that’s how long it’s been since my last brain surgery. 3 operations over 3 days (5 and a half months pregnant) and yet, here I am, writing this post. 8 years since I had my emergency ETV (having surpassed the 5-year mark the surgeon told me, in which it could fail). It…
Living in a family unit where the majority of the members are male, has proven to be quite tricky. My eldest son is now at an age and physical build where he quite comfortably fits into my husbands Tshirts and even underwear. Hence the quarrels that ensue (because the one wears the others clothing items),…
Diagnosed at age 29, in full-time employment and a mother of 2 (now 3), I had no other choice but to be strong. The thing about being diagnosed with an invisible illness and going through 4 brain surgeries is that not even your own family gets it. They look at you through the same eyes…
Words have the potential to do so much with very little to no effort. I suppose for me it started with the words Hydrocephalus and Brain surgery. My latest diagnoses of Hyperthyroidism comes with the “possibility” of, Heart failure and Cancer. These words somehow have been the cause of much anxiety, fear and uncertainty for me. They…
3 little words that have managed to evoke some anxiety and borderline fear when uttered by someone else, to me. At the beginning of my Hydro journey and first brain operation, I wouldn’t face the fact that I have a memory issue. This was probably because I convinced myself that I couldn’t possibly forget a…
The definition of Traumatic Brain Injury is: “Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an insult to the brain, not of a degenerative or congenital nature, but caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning.” Bluntly put, there is no nice…
Does clutter bug you? I bet you’re wondering what clutter could possibly have to do with Hydrocephalus. Bear with me… I personally, looking at my surroundings, am a self-confessed hoarder praying desperately for a release to a calm Zen-like state. (Or maybe I just have too much on my plate and literally can’t get to…
