Kathleen,
Did Ann Ritter not practice in Winston-Salem,NC? When my mom contacted hydroassoc they gave us her name and my current nsg Dr. McLanahan both were about 3 hours away with very good reports. I chose Dr. McLanahan. He saved my life. I had a very faulty shunt for 14 months before we found him. Very good nsg, very consertive with shaving hair. Tried to leave as much as possible. And he is very easy on the skin. Uses desovable stitches,glue and/or tape. Even cleaned up major scars left by other nsgs.
I'm going backward. Dr. Jackson in SC just never tried too much. Did not test a bad shunt I had just took another nsg word it worked.
Dr. Fukes at Duke University.The nsg that put in my faulty shunt and told me I'd just have to learn to live with seizures,tremmors, suisidal thoughts,headaches,balance and motor problems. I had never heard of hydro and he did not offer to give advice. I had to go throught the er just for emergency adjustments waiting up to 11 hours in the waiting room looking at gun shot and stab victims. Always insisted from pushing on the shunt it was working fine. He was a ped nsg and should never have treated me because he did not understand hydro or aldult hydro. And he left me buchared with bad scars. I can deal with pain but I don't know why I didn't die under his care. Dr. McLanahan said for as long as I had the faulty shunt he was not sure what all damage could be reversed. It's taken a while but I am getting better. Still a ways to go but better.
I was sent to Duke by my old nsg in Asheville that just didn't know enough about my problems. He put in my 1st shunt in 1983. Very caring and assumed the shunt did not work after 2 years or so. Dr. Lumus is a very caring nsg but just not very skilled in hydro. But last I saw him was in 2002. I know there is another nsg on the hydroassoc board in Asheville...I think his name is Dr Roden. I'm not switching unless I have to but my ns in Asheville has assured me he knows hydro very well.
Dr. M told me when he was planning to clean up my scars during a revision that now they do the cuts side to side not up and down they don't cause the major scars. One nsg put staples in my abdomen and cause even worse scar. They hurt majorly too...
I have an online friend that Fukes caused issues with and told her too she would have to learn to live with it. She had distal tube wrapped around organs in her belly. Dr. M is also her nsg now.