Appointment w/ Dr. Newell

When we left Swedish Hospital we were told to make a follow up appointment with Dr. Newell. Here it is 6 weeks later and the appontment is over. When we went it felt like a step forward, just a follow up apointment no big deal right? I had my list of questions to ask him not realizing the one question everyone wanted to know had a not so great answer....
On august 12th, Scott will be going in to have a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP shunt) placed. This is a long thin tube that starts in his brain with about 2 inches going into the brain and ends in his stomach. The start has tiny holes that absorb the cerebral fluid around the brain then has a larger pocket which holds a magnet that regulates the fluid disbursing into the stomach. This will be located in the back of his head and is sensitive to strong magnetic fields, like if he has an MRI it will have to be reset by the neurosurgeon.
We have to go in on the 11th for a stealth CT before surgery due to the need for different imaging and being able to place the tube. (We won’t have the time for any of these until its closer to the date)

The reason he has to have this placement… The fluid build up that is visible on the right side of his head is only a portion of the excess fluid. Dr. Newell said based on his CT today, there is fluid under the prosthesis bone flap as well. His brain is not absorbing cerebral fluid where the bleed was, which causes the excess. There is also still fluid from the surgery that has not absorbed. They have an option where they do a spinal tap and wrap the head to force fluid to leave the body through the spin. This is a one time procedure, but in Scott’s case they believe the fluid will just return due to the spot (I don’t know how large it is) that is not absorbing and probably never will.

The surgery will take about 1-2 hours with 1-1 ½ hours in recovery, then 2 days in observation. They said usually 1 day in ICU and 1 day in medical room. Oh how fun an over night stay on each floor. We actually visited each floor between the CT & the check up thinking we wouldn’t be back…not sure we’ll do that again…ha…ha…
Scott’s now feeling the 1 step forward, 10 steps back that we felt for so many days in the ICU. It was shocking to hear that surgery was needed again. The post surgery effects were even worse. They said to expect headaches and stomach discomfort for possibly a month as the fluid drains and the tubing finds a home in his stomach. He wont be able to lift anything more than 5lbs for 3-6 weeks and no swimming until the wounds are totally healed. These are all the things we have been doing the past few weeks to get him stronger... At least we had a really long up hill climb before this small down hill... Let's hope the hills through the next few weeks are all nice and small!