Hey, everybody!!

I'm LIZ and I was born with hydrocephalus nearly 40 years ago. As a result of the hydro (or possibly my delivery ), I also have epilepsy which is well-controlled with a small dose of a single med. As of right now, it's been 26 years since I last had any shunt surgery, and I experience few issues from the hydro, but the ones I have present a challenge in balancing my "shtuff" with my son's autism and all he needs. I am forgetful, can't follow oral directions for nuthin', and multi-tasking is still a challenge, although I am improving.

For anyone unacquainted with "hydro," it occurs when the fluid in the brain gets trapped inside, resulting in swelling and compression of the tissue. About 25% or so of us have at least one seizure along the way, and of those, about 35-50% will go on to develop epilepsy. Due to my relatively uncomplicated hydro history, I'm inclined to think that my delivery with high forceps is to blame for the epilepsy, although my hydro is probably congenital. In any case, I'm nearly 40 yo, so none of that matters now. I'm just fortunate that this shunt (surgery done to treat hydro) has worked wonderfully after five surgeries before kindergarten. The shunt is a silicone-rubber or plastic tube that is inserted into the blocked ventricle, probed down one side of the torso (inside ), and into the peritoneal cavity (stomach area) or other "ending" drainage site, such as the heart atrium. The fluid is then absorbed into the bloodstream, same as yours.

So...there you have me, in a nutshell. Any questions from anyone are welcome and encouraged. My kids are 15 and 12, as noted in my siggy.


LIZARD