Well....shit.

[firecat88]

Thanks for all the well-wishes, everyone. <3

I feel for you, firecat88. I am familiar with shunts and possible complications thanks to my little sister - she has two of them. We were all trained in how to respond to one or both them malfunctioning in some way. So far she's been lucky and hasn't had to have them replaced and she's now 26.

Yeah, my first shunt actually lasted 13 years. Apparently that's quite rare. Even my current neurologist was surprised (though the surprise also came from the fact that, when a new one was put in, the guy who did that surgery never bothered to take the old one out).

From what you describe, I wonder if the cyst wasn't the result of infectious material draining away from the messed up shunt.

That's the theory, really. We just don't know yet whether it's the old one or the newer one that's the problem. :/ Guess we'll find out. I go in for pre-op tests on January 3rd.

[AccountingDrone]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We-BIY5OEp4

Do you want the giant chainsaw arms or not? Or a Barbeau-bot perhaps?

Hm, I really did like myself when I was young, in shape and not falling apart ... Just maybe give my bot body optional gills so I can live underwater if I want. I think being amphibious would be so freaking great.

[Kit-Ginevra]

Aw *hugs-not too squashy ones* I guess it's a good thing that it's been sitting there doing nothing instead of getting worse. Shunts are nasty things-my friend was in hospital with one for most of the last year.Hoping it all gets sorted out and you can get back to being a bouncy firecat-let us know how everything turns out

[morgana]

Hm, I really did like myself when I was young, in shape and not falling apart ... Just maybe give my bot body optional gills so I can live underwater if I want. I think being amphibious would be so freaking great.

Ooooooh! Morgana want, too! Always wanted to be a mermaid . . .

[Akasa]

/hugs
I have no words that could be a comfort, just hugs.

[Kit-Ginevra]

Ooooooh! Morgana want, too! Always wanted to be a mermaid . . .

Ask and it shall be given unto ye...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sea-Blue-Mer...item27daf1ff2e

[firecat88]

Probably having the surgery next week. @_@ I knew it was going to be soon, but I wasn't expecting that soon.

[Aethian]

But that's a good thing right?

[firecat88]

But that's a good thing right?

Yes, but being that it's my first shunt revision in a little over a decade, I reserve the right to be freaked out.

[mathnerd]

Yes, but being that it's my first shunt revision in a little over a decade, I reserve the right to be freaked out.

Of course you have that right. Even though surgery in this house is as routine as childhood vaccinations, it's still a little panic inducing.

And huge hugs and best wishes. Fingers crossed for an uneventful procedure and recovery!

[firecat88]

Of course you have that right. Even though surgery in this house is as routine as childhood vaccinations, it's still a little panic inducing.

And huge hugs and best wishes. Fingers crossed for an uneventful procedure and recovery!

Thanks. *hugs* Also, mind explaining the 'surgery is terrifying no matter how many times you've been in the OR' thing to my mom and sister? O.o They seem to not be getting why I'm slightly panicking over this.

[mathnerd]

If I ever get the chance, I'd be happy to!

I have a pre-op routine with the boys to help settle them down in the days before an operation. It helps them to go over the procedure in detail so they know exactly what will happen while they're under general. I think part of what makes it so scary is that while one is under general, all conscious control of your surroundings is gone. You have to place absolute trust in the OR team to make all the right choices, and trusting people to that extent is simply not easy for anybody. It's a little different for me, since I'm just the mother, and not the patient, so I have to hide my stress to help them deal with it a little better.

[firecat88]

The good news- My surgery is apparently a week later than I thought it was. Dr. W wants to do it on the 15th instead of the 8th.

The bad news- My surgery is apparently a week later than I thought it was. @_@ I was actually, despite dreading the fact that I even need this surgery, hoping to get it over with sooner rather than later.

[firecat88]

Surgery day has come and gone. As I'm writing this, I'm rather tired, but I wanted to give an update.

The surgery happened much later than planned. I was supposed to go in at noon, but it was about 2:15 before I actually saw the inside of the OR. I didn't mind too much, though. The room I was in had a TV with free-to-watch movies. So my mom and I watched The Hobbit. Once they were ready for me, though, everything happened really fast. o.o I was whisked away to radiology for my shuntogram, then immediately whisked back upstairs to the OR.

As it turns out, the problem was indeed shunt-related. My old one had broken and was causing CSF to pool and leak out through the incision from my biopsy last year. They were able to remove a portion of it, but not the whole thing because it apparently has calcified over the years. Hopefully this should fix everything.

Oh, but I am bruised everywhere. @_@ As usual, finding a good vein on me for the IV was hard. They had to put it in right at the crease on my wrist, which was very painful. Effective because they were able to get blood from it, but painful. However, this was the first shunt revision I've had where I've been able to go home the same day, so I shan't complain too much.

[KatherineB]

I'm really glad to hear about the positives and hope the bruising etc clears up as soon as possible!