Out of Surgery

The shunt revision went well. Once the Neurosurgeon got in there to disassemble the shunt, and find out what pieces were plugged, he discovered all the parts were working and draining the fluid. There was clearly a build up of pressure in Cayman's head which would indicate her shunt had not been draining. The Neurosurgeon said it's possible that the simple manipulation to the shunt during the surgery could have knocked the blockage loose before they even had the chance to properly inspect it. So he was not able to prove that the shunt was plugged but he feels strongly that that is what happened. So while he had access to the shunt he changed out 2 of the 3 parts of it that were easy to access. The one piece he left was the distal end that goes into her heart since that is a more complicated piece to replace in Cayman.

Cayman is in recovery right now. This is the time when I begin to get very restless. These surgeries just get harder to bear through as she gets older.

Our departure from Cayman before her surgery was difficult. Cayman was brave, much more than I felt. As they wheeled her bed away, she arched her back and tipped her head upward to take one last look at Mike and I. She let out one tiny little grunt and then laid back down comfortably. It was almost as if she was saying, "I'll be just fine Mom and Dad. See you soon."