Hey ya'll I came home Thursday but just haven't felt like posting. I don't really feel bad just real tired. Well my last question I ask ya'll about where the incision would be both answers were wrong. I have an incision at the shunt valve and in the judglar in my neck. The neck hurts but not like it did when I had the switch from the VP to the VA but you know it would hurt more having to situate the distal and all. My head is swelled and tight but I'm not having to take more pain meds than before the surgery. He readjusted the shunt to 170. The valve was wroking just fine when he tested it. When he came out to talk to my parents after surgery he told them things went real good. Without them asking he told them he thought I had a real good chance to get back to nearly or not at all headache free. Dr. McLanahan said he thought we were on the right track and has really good hopes for me. At the hospital he has a floor just for his patients. I had to wait 3 hours in recovery to get a room. It was ok though. So I was very awake when I got to my room. So my nurse was getting my IV set up and I ask her to unhook it. She did and ask why I told her I was too awake to be laying there that naked. All day that day and the next she kept telling everyone she had never seen anyone come out of recovery wanting to put clothes on. I had the best nursing staff ever this time. The ones last time were ok. I just broke down begging for pain meds and had to take mine from home. But all pain meds were on time and just a few minutes after I ask. The food was the worst. I told my nurse they make the food bad so we would want to go home early. I actually ask for the doctor to be called to be released the next day. I had pain but nothing like I have had before. I have to get my hair evened up but he shaves it in a straight line and you can work with it. I have been fairly alert after this surgery. I probably could have gone home the day of surgery. But it was good I stayed just incase I did have issues with the different adjustment. I'm having the swelled surgery headache, a lot of itching, bruised headache kinda like the adjustment headache. Not too many today but have had major head rush pain feeling like my head would blow up even my ears stop up during this. It happens when I get up from sitting or laying down. It's only happened about 2 times today and I didn't have to stop in my tracks and let my head level off and my hearing regain. Every time it happens my parents start in asking what's wrong? Are you OK?! Monica!? I tell them each time it's the head rush headache but still they keep asking. Oh!! I am not sure what caused this. They gave me a little different meds maybe was the cause. Started having these few bumps comming up. within a few hours spresd all over my face. So it was an allergic reaction to something. My GP called in a predizone pack. The pimple looking stuff is gone now my face is pealing. I had then use all non latex tape so it was not that but when the paper tape was taken off I still blistered.
Joy,
You'll love this. I had a NA come in looking at my board and writting notes. I thought she was talking to me. She said" Ok. you're 30..." I said no I'm 32. My mom cracked up on me. Momma told me my room number was 30. The NA started in telling me I really didn't look 32...lol I told her it was my acne that made me look young.
The nurses were cutting up with me the whole time. I had a different NA come in while my mom and I were discussion her pulling the stitches out of my head with a towel...lol I looked around not able to turn my neck because of the incision and she laughed and then started turning around like I was. I told her Yea I know I look like a hoot owl.
The incision on my neck bleed out in recovery a bit. I've never had one bleed. I usually clot pretty fast.

Something for a new post What does your neuro use to sew your incisions. Duke would use stitches and not let you take a bandage off to put a clean one on and did not want you to bathe for 2 weeks. If the bandage started to comeup you had to just add another layer. I looked like I had a big diaper on my head. Mission in Asheville would go from stitches to staples. Could change the bandages but had to cover up all incisions. Dr. McLanahan uses desolvable stitches plus glue then the steral( sp? stera?) strips. The day after in the hospital I had to cover them to shower. Now just don't wash them hard let water run over them and pat dry.

I think I've told everything. I keep thinking I still have to go through the adjustment headache...But I have this device now so I wonder if the adjustment will happen. My head is bruised and itchy feeling oh and swelled tight but not a lot of surgery hurt.