Hi I had a vp shunt put in in August of 2010 due to psuedo tumor. I was diagnosed with it in April of that year when I went to get my eyes checked. They thought I had MS at first but the MRI was normal just extra fluid. When I had my first spinal tap done my brother said the neurologist's faces were like "why isn't this woman in a coma and how is she still functioning?" the pessure was so high it went over the pipette they use to measure opening pressure.

The funny thing is I had been living with the pressure for 6 years before I had anyone check it out and I wouldn't have had it checked except I lost half the vision in my left eye. 6 years prior I had a headache/migraine for 3 months and double vision at the same time. when the double vision went away I noticed the blind spot but I didn't have insurance so didn't get it checked. Other than that I really had no symptoms that were outstanding. Oh I would get dizzy or forget things but I thought it was side effects of my bipolar meds.
Any way since I had the shunt put in I have had a pain in my right side that comes and goes and feels either throbbin or stabbing and I am on topomax to keep from having headaches. I asked the neuro surgeon to shorten the tube thinking that that was the cause of the pain and he said the tube was like a piece of cooked spagetti so it couldn't be that and he wouldn't shorten the tube either. I had to have my gall bladder out because of stones (took the docs 2 years of me being in pain to figure that out all because I did not show the right response on my first ultrasound) The pain in my side is still there. I have balance problems worse than before the shunt and am very easily irratated and have whooshing in my ears from time to time. The neuro nurse said I had an inner ear infection and that my pc needed to see to it.

My biggest frustration besides the pain is that the neurosurgeon and neurologist think everything is fine. Before the surgery my white cell count was in normal range now it stays elevated the last time I went in it was 21 my doc asked if they put me in the hospital, I told him no they gave me 2 different antibiotics to take and sent me home to take them.

When they did an xray to see where the tube was they said it had looped and the tip was under my liver when I was told it should be down by my lower abdomen.( that is how long the tube is)

Can anyone help me figure this out I tell my doc's and they think because I don't present with their "symptom list" that nothing is wrong. My brother had leukemia when he was 8 so I know first hand that people don't go by the book the doc uses. What else can I do to convince them there is something not right I should be feeling better not worse I have even had times where I felt like my feet were glued to the ground and had to have help just to get to my front door after feeling ok and running errands.

Sorry this post is so long any advice would be greatly appreciated