Welcome,
I was one of the first people on the planet to have a shunt implanted. In regards to your headaches, I have been reading a lot of the posts and I don't get it. I almost start to wonder if the neurosurgeons are competent. I had my shunt place in Jan '70, I had three revisions by the time I was 10, I had no issues or side effects until 2006, when I had to have it replaced. I have had 5 headaches in my life, mind you I had surgery for each headache. I have a VP shunt, non-programmable.
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Originally Posted by b_george11
Hello, my name is Andrew, I am 27 and was born with Hydrocephalus. I was born three months premature at 2.2 pounds. I have never really had any issues until about three years ago. In march of 2010 the tube broke in my neck so I had a surgery. I had to have one more in May due to scar tissue build up, the tube had to be moved. Shortly after that last surgery I developed a severe non-stop headache. The NS said my shunt was fine and said it was migraines. Spent about 9 months taking migraine meds. I then got a second opinion and the NS said the fluid was flowing too fast off my brain, but it was Hydro. He then put in a strata valve, but with on avail. I then went to the Cleveland Clinic, Feb 2012. They put in a codman programmable valve. Unfortunately that did not work, so then on December 20th of 2012 they put in a LP shunt. With the two shunts, I had about two months from surgery where I felt good. Then the headache came back. There has been a couple adjustments so far, but no luck yet. I am confident they will find the right setting. It is going to take time, hoping to make it through. Most days the pain is so bad I am stuck in bed all day. I am on a high dose of pain meds as well. The pain is usually between 6-8 most days. It would be nice to talk to some people who have gone through a similar situation. Thank you for listening to my story.
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