I do not see postings from anyone other than those that have shunts themselves so I hope that I do not offend anyone by being the one to share my son's problems and ask for advice. My son had spinal meningitis at 5 days old. They told me he would not make it through the night, his spinal fluid looked like cloudy water. But he did make it, through that and the next year that was spent in and out of Children's Hospital (mostly in). He was shunted, revised, revised, infected, shunted externally, and revised again. Then we went four blessed years. Another revision, and seven more years. This revision did not go as well at age 12. He was revised, and the shunt failed within six hours. The doctors did not want to believe it, refused to do another CT until I became hysterical. They did do CT and took him immediately to surgery. At that point he was so sick, he also suffered a collapsed lung. He was brought out on a ventilator for 3 days. When we were released from the hospital that time I prayed, and prayed, that it would be the last. Now 18 years later at age 30 the cycle has started again. He began getting headaches in late June that medication was not stopping. In the second week of July we took him to the local hospital. His vision was so bad that he was needing help to walk by his wife. They did CT and said there was nothing wrong except for a new diagnosis of migraines. A week later his wife called me at 3:30 am to tell me he was projectile vomiting. I met them at the same hospital and the doctor did not seem concerned. They did another CT and while waiting for it to be read, (two hours plus) the doctor never came back. At 6:00 a.m they came and told us they wanted to fly him out immediately to hospital 60 miles away. When I asked why the doctor had not been concerned before he told me that with all the shunts he had he thought one of them had to be working. He never read the report that he had only one functioning shunt, the rest were catheters left from previous surgeries that could not be removed due to bleeding risk. I do not know how this disease can be so dismissed . He had surgery that day and was crawling on his hands and knees to the bathroom from abdominal pain four days later. Back in ER 5 days after discharge,actually questioned rudely by ER doctor as to why we are there. Who told us to come? Best yet, told him to quit taking his pain meds, that was probably the problem. Back home, stomach pains and then the headaches again. Back to clinic three more times. CT fine, everything's ok. Getting sicker/sicker. I take him back to hospital and now we just had surgery again. SLIT VENTRICLE SYNDROME. How are we supposed to know what's wrong when the people that are supposed to know don't. No matter how old he is, he is my son, and any knowledge or support I can learn from this website is a true blessing. Thank you for posting your medical issues, sharing knowledge makes us stronger and more prepared, and a lot less alone.