I was born in May of 1967.

For the first eight months of my life, my head grew faster than the percentile growth chart for a newborn baby. At 8mos.-old, I was finally diagnosed with Hydrocephalus. But it wasn't until my fist brain surgery at 9mos.-old, that the cause of the Hydrocephalus was discovered, a ventricular brain aneurysm. I was immediately shunted to cope with the Hydrocephalus. I had five more surgeries by 9yrs.-old, to deal with aneurysm and failing shunts.

While I have not had a shunt revision in thirty-five years, the side affects of the surgeries are life long.

I was married(1992-2000) to a woman that, while coming from a religious family, was a by-product of her families medical denial. Despite being engaged five years giving the woman plenty f time to learn about my health and what to do in an emergency situation, no amount of time could counteract her pervasive denial about my health. When I had a Grand-Mal seizure, she just stared at me. In August of 1997(six months after she left me) I almost divorced, but she begged me not to, so I relented. It wasn't until 1998(a year after she physically left me) that I finally realized why she was so ignorant. She told me that she had wished my health problems would 'just go away'. That did it for me. There was no going back to that ignorance. I divorced her in 2000. The problems we had during the marriage, her parents blamed me solely for. It wasn't until 2004(four years after the divorce), that my ex-wife and her parents admitted she had problems. It was vindication for all those years that they denied that she had problems.

As bad luck would have it, I was engaged(2002-2007) to a woman was diagnosed as having Borderline Personality Disorder(they value and devalue those closest to them) in 1999 yet, when I had a Gran-Mal seizure she was 100% responsive. Later on in that relationship I was accused of being worse than the step-father that abused her during childhood.

While I am in a relationship, I highly doubt a woman will ever generally agree with the 'in sickness, and in health' part in marriage vows or a relationship in general, where my health is concerned.

I have resigned myself to living alone for the rest of my life.

Hello Mandy, hru? i hear you are struggling with your hydro and depression. i know it is hard i'm 31 and have been dealing with this my whole life . i have had 10 shunt surgeries so far and it is very hard . dealing with the pain and headaches if you need to talk or anything plx let me know ok ? i am a good listener hope you are doing well tc Heather.