Monday Monday

We've been putting Uncle Jon to work right away. He's been having a great time with Vinnie. I am officially out numbered now in the male female ratio department however! (Now I know how you feel Misty lol) We've been excited to finally be able to take Vinnie out and about in the world but the pollen has just been too bad here for us to take him out. There is a green film on everything. Thank you claritin!

Ok, I'm just procrastinating by talking about claritin. Now for the news I would rather not have to deliver..........


Last week as per my previous post Vinnie went in for his 9mth check up. His head was growing faster than the rest of his body. Naturally we thought it was because Joe was abig headed kid :)


They did an ultrasound the next morning just in case due to Vin's track record. If you recall when he was in the NICU he a grade 3 brain bleed. The ultra sound showed that the ventricles in his brain are dialated. They are holding too much spinal fluid. How much was the question.

We met went to a neurologist Tuesday and he had a CAT scan. This revealed his ventricles are 8-10 times the size they should be and he currently has more fluid in his head than brain
matter. My stomach turned when I saw the pictures of his scan. Although I am not a doctor I have seen enough head scans from the plethera of medical shows I watch.

In layman's terms the excess fluid is shoving his brain up against the skull from all the space it is taking up. In our brains you would see two small black spots on the CAT scan of this fluid. Your brain does need a certain amount of this fluid to surround it and "float" in. The tissue in his head is not absorbing the fluid like ours does. Probably because he had the brain bleed when he was born and the tissue is used to absorbing red blood cells.

Monday he will have surgery at LeBohner Children's hospital (where he had his hernia repair surgery) to place a shunt in the ventricle of his brain. A small hole will be drilled in his skull to place the shunt. The shunt will drain the fluid out of his brain through 1/8th inch tubing that will come out the back of his skull down his neck, across his chest, and into his abdomen where it will be reabsorbed by his body. The shunt will be permanent, he'll have it for the rest of his life. It is programable to pace the amount of fluid it will drain. We'll just have to keep him away from high magnetic feilds so it doesn't reset. I will ask more questions about these fields he has to stay away from. I did some research online with people who have shunts. Most of the time it looks like they really only reset during MRI's and things of that magnatude. There were some reports of resets due to microwaves, fridges (with many magnets on them), security checks such as metal detectors, etc. This sounds somewhat shady to me, but of course I will double check what they recommend him staying away from.




Here is a great link to learn more about hydrocephalus. The site also has a picture of what a normal MRI looks like and one of a hydro patient. It is similar to what Vinnie's looks like. :

http://neurosurgery.seattlechildrens.org/conditions_treated/hydrocephalus.asp


As a baby you will be able to see the tubing. As he grows more it will be less visible. As a toddler you probably will not be able to see it unless someone would point it out. As an adult if it is visible at all it will just look like a vein. He will also have a valve that will be on the outside of his skull right under the skin on his head. This is so if they ever need to take samples of the fluid for infections or just to test it they do not have to put him under and go back in. They can just take a sample via a syringe extraction.

Although it is frightening to imagine having this permanent man made device in my child, I am very thankful that their is an option to treat hydrocephalus.

You can't be scared and brave at the same time so we will be brave for Vinnie. He's such a trooper.

Please pray for Vinnie that he has a quick uncomplicated surgery and a fast recovery!!!!