I just came upon this website and had a couple of questions to see if some with this condition also have the same feeling.

I was diagnosed with hydro when I was 6 weeks old I had 4 surgery and my last one was when I was 12. I had no neurological effects and I am living a relatively healthy life, I'm 23 and a college student at Michigan State. What I was wondering, does anyone with a shunt sometimes have stiffness in that area, or dull pain (not nothing that would disrupt your day, but its still there).

I haven't actually been to see a neurosurgeon in a very long time, mostly due to the lack of health insurance, but now i'm able to see one in August. I did however was able to see a nurse who specializes in hydro cases and she was actually the nurse there through I believe most of my surgeries (so my mom says) She told me that sometimes when you have neck strain, or turn your head wrong, or lay on the side your shunt is on it can create soreness in that area, or it could be due to scar tissue. I have been blessed to have had one if not the best (woman) neurosurgeon and first African American woman neurosurgeon to be my doctor and had performed all of my surgeries (although she's retired now). I have live a pretty normal life, but I do wonder whats to come in my years, I've been reading about women who have shunts and get pregnant, although my doctor has said that I could have children, I've heard of some women, who shunts have malfunctioned while pregnant or after, does anyone have experience in this?

This is a question I would like to have answered because I would like to have children one day. Has anyone known anyone who is an older adult or senior who shunt still works properly? Im hoping that I wouldnt have to have my revised, but I'm willing considering I've been so blessed thus far. May have more questions later, but would like to hear from everyone else, Thanks

Dear Britni:
I'm a 53-year-old male with hydrocephalus who had a shunt put in almost 10 years ago. It has never been revised. It's a VP shunt with a fixed pressure valve. I can't answer all your childbirth-related questions, but I can say that I do get dull pain from time to time along the shunt tract or especially at the top end or the "bulb" of the shunt.
I have had my shunt checked several times because I feared it might be blocked, but all my fears were false alarms. The shunt is apparently working as it should, although I still experience headaches and seizures. Both of these are not as bad as they were before the shunt.
At my last check, about a year ago, the neurosurgeon told me my shunt was working properly, but the CSF (fluid) was still building. There are no further surgeries possible.
I also know a woman, about the same age as me, who also has hydrocephalus and has the same kind of shunt and lives in the same building as me up here in Canada. She answered my questions before my surgery. And by the way, she has two healthy children, who are now young adults and those offspring have no hydrocephalus symptoms.
So to answer your questions as best I can, you can get pain in your shunt area when you turn your head (my shunt actually makes a clicking sound when I turn my head). I also get a little dizzy from time to time if I turn my head too quick. And, if I lie right on the shunt, I will sometimes get pain from that. I also get minor headaches almost daily. But It's all pain that I can treat with a simple Tylenol. And judging by the experiences of the woman I know with hydrocephalus, you can have children even though you have a shunt.
I was told by my neurosurgeon that some hydrocephalus cases are inherited, but there is no history of hydrocephalus in my family. So, go figure. Anyway, I hoped I helped answer some of your questions.
Jeff
Kirkland Lake, Ont.
Canada