Part 1 of 2 That’s rhetorical! However, my question is sincere and this is why… Having hydrocephalus and enduring brain surgery (repeatedly) takes a toll on you. We never really know what the effects will be. Symptoms, surgery and recovery, may differ with each operation, per person. For those...
Articles with the Tag Shunt
Let your body be your guide!
This condition has taught me to be, not only resilient, but also resourceful. The things I’ve had to do and endure, over these last few years, cause me to feel both anger and admiration (amongst other things). As a result, it forces you to figure things out for yourself!...
Hydrocephalus: Being around people who understand the language you’re speaking
As a person living with Hydrocephalus, be it yourself or someone close to you affected by this condition, it’s easy enough to understand the medical terminology. Well, at least better than anyone who is just an “acquaintance” of this condition. I remember when I was first diagnosed and heard...
Hydrocephalus : Passing an ETV post op hurdle
2 December marks my 7 year post op hurdle. I’ve done it…defied the odds! (She says optimistically). I was told after my operation, that the ETV could close and it normally happens within 5 years. Whether I’ve come to the end of the track or am charging ahead toward...
Hydrocephalus: “Mind over Matter”
There’s a little well-known phrase I’ve come to adopt of late, “Mind over matter“. My late grandfather used this quite a bit when he was still alive. He died from lung cancer about 8 months after diagnosis. The day he died, I was at his bedside but didn’t realise...
Medical Alert Card
Do you have an alert card? Something which identifies your condition in an emergency situation. I’ve been searching endlessly for one standard, something that will “speak” for me when or if I can’t. Trying to find something specific to ETV has been a fruitless exercise (Though this card can...
It’s a matter of trust…
There’s a certain level of trust I need before I (literally) let someone mess with my head. Some of the surgeons I’ve consulted with since diagnosis have definitely contributed to the realization of this. When I was diagnosed in 2007, I never knew the surgeon who operated on me...
Shunt vs ETV
When I was first diagnosed with Hydrocephalus, it was a whirlwind time filled with emotion. I can’t really say that I registered much until after my first operation, which was literally within a few days. It was a little surreal…to say the least. I had my shunt placed on...
The first step to understanding is through knowledge
Understanding what Hydrocephalus is can be a little confusing, overwhelming or just plain and simply do your head in. I remember when I first saw the word on a scan result I had done. I remember going “Huh? Hydro what?” Since that day, now just over 8 years ago,...