HELLO ALL
It is almost Sept.1st 2009 This is my story;

I have a VPSHUNT that was placed in me on Aug 4th of 2008( it has now been a year) Since then, I have been, (it seams) more sicker with this shunt than b4 I had it. Dont get me wrong, the shunt has improved if not fixed my pressure in my brain. Before surgery I had the most pressure in my brain that my Brain Surgen has EVER seen! I guess it was at 379 when I went into the hospital that day- BELIEVE me, I have had headaches "constant" for over 4 years and felt like a lab rat with ALL the tests I have had within that time. I have been ALL over the place and have seen maybe over 100 different doctors. And can you believe that NONE of them had EVER found ANYTHING wrong with me? They had found in the VERY beggining, that I had a VERY small cyst in my brain but it was benign and should NEVER cause me a problem. HA- Thats what I was told-So as time went by with ALL the catscans, and xrays, & ALL the CONSTANT headaches that i have had EVERYDAY, No one STILL found ANYTING wrong with me! Yes, it was horrible! But, towards the end of the forth year of being like this things got even worse...I ended up getting so sick with even my eyes turning in & going blind, falling down everywhere and even not being able to control my bodily functions-So I once again went into the ER... But this time it was a BIG Hospital other than the wings of the hospital they have here in different counties that I have gone to- So when I was made to go to that hospital they took a catscan to find that I needed IMMEDIATE Brain surgery? I could NOT believe it- FINALLY they know whats wrong with me...so I did and after a couple of weeks I started to feel better , then the stomache pains in my abdominal area began-OMG where they sooo bad!!! Test after test nothing-I'm happy I found this site around then, so many of us with the vpshunt has had the same belly pain...so It kinda made me feel better & made me know that everyone else seemed to have it too. And that once again I wasnt crazy Then after a few months of dealing with those pains I started to get horrible headaches-worse that I have EVER had-(yeah, and to think I have felt the worst before...NOPE) so I had to deal with all that & mind you since surgery I have seen my Brain Surgen at least EVERY week for over 5 months.They started to think in the beginning, that my shunt was infected-? But everytime I had a shunt tap & blood cultures it all came back normal-But when I take antibiotics I'm on top of the world fine!? So no one knows- Since it has been a year now that I have had this shunt-I have been in the ER like 30 times and actually hospitalized at leat 10 of those times for a week or less. Within the last 8 months I had started to get even sicker I started to get tempatures of 102+ with chills and then a headache sooo bad that I cant walk, talk, or even open my eyes- Its also really strange that like clockwork, it lasts for about 6 hours then goes away? EVERY TIME I get like this I think I will die. My headpain is sooo very bad that I feel as if my head will just explode! So usually that ends me in the ER as well. but most of the time I just try to put up with it cause I HATE hospitals (never used to) and I know it will last for only some hours-or hope it will! I have REALLY had concern of why I get like this-BELIEVE me, I cannot live this way anymore-IT IS NO WAY to live!!! Its soooo painfull and sooo scary-But when I am on antibiotics Im GREAT! Thats why they think it may be a slight infection? So the last time I was in the hospital I was there for a week then got transfered to the Cleveland Clinic-For I think my Brain Surgen doesnt know what to do with me anymore? I met up with one of the WORLDS BEST Brain surgens-and he believes that my problem may be because of the shunt being infected but also, that the cause of me to of had a shunt put in, in the first place , was because of my cyst and its still in there-so he thinks that it should ALL come out and for my cyst to be taken out! WOW! Now, what do I do??? I know what has to be done but I am soooo scared! So Within the last 4 days I have called and made that appointment for me to FINALLY get my cyst (of the third ventricle) taken out-My opperation will be Sept 22nd of this year-I am sooooooo scared I just cant handel it-Im scared that My symptoms will not get better and that maybe I will just get worse? AND on top of that, the risks that are involved with the removal of my cyst. I know I have the Best surgen operating on me at the Cleveland Clinic but STILL, I am just flippin out & so VERY scared that It will NOT all work out for me-Maybe its because I have been sick for soooo long? Anyways PLEASE PRAY FOR ME to make it , let alone make it out perfectly so I would not then EVER need a shunt put back into me. Now that would be the greatest thing I could EVER imagine! I do also understand that even with the cyst removed, it may scab up or other things may happen that may require me to have another shunt put in-but I PRAY NOT!The Doctor says I have this 1 risk or I have so many risks without trying! I guess it makes scence but I am petrified!!!! What do you all think? PLEASE let me know* GOOD OR BAD! PLEASE HELP* Thankyou

All brain surgery is risky, there is no denying that. But if you are having so much pain and other symptoms, and possilby problems with the shunt...You probably need to go ahead with the surgery. I had an arachnoid cyst, and had fenestration surgery where most of the cyst was removed. Luckily I didn't need to have a shunt. I was petrified at the time too, but I had to have the surgery, and now I'm so glad I did.
It's good to hear you have found a neurosugeon who is willing to try and remove the cyst and the shunt. Hopefully he is skilled surgeon, and knows what he's talking about.
Yes, I'm praying for you, and praying that the surgery will go well, and in time, you will be pain and symptom free!
~Jaime~