On the Mend

Paton came through his surgery this morning very well. Thank you all for your prayers. The neurologist determined that the valve portion of the shunt was the problem. They inserted a new, "programmable" valve closer to the top of his head (I think it would be really cool to have a remote control for your head!). The drainage tube was then rerouted to that new valve. The old shunt valve (in the picture below you can see the bandage nearer the back of his head) was left in place, as there is the danger of hemorrhaging at the site. It will only be removed if it becomes a problem. The little fella's sleeping a lot today, along with his mama (neither got much sleep last night!). God is good.

Shunt Revision

Well, our little fella's almost a year old. It's been a fantastic year! His smiles are pure joy, and his laugh is infectious. We've just had the best time.

But the other day he had a pediatric visit, and the doctor noted that his head growth was literally "off the chart." She immediately recommended a scan. The results showed a buildup of fluid in the ventricles -- hydrocephalus. This is usually a sign of shunt malfunction. She suggested we take him to the TX Children's ER. Jen & Paton arrived last night, and they did a head ultrasound. The results confirmed the hydrocephalus, and further tests confirmed that there is some kind of blockage in the shunt system.

So the little fella's in surgery now as I write this. According to the Spina Bifida Association, "about 40 percent of shunts will fail and need changing (or revision) within one year, 60 percent within five years and 80-85 percent within 10 years. About 20 percent of people with Spina Bifida will need more than one shunt revision." So I guess we're pretty close to being "average" at this point.

Keep us in your prayers.

I'll try to post a little later today.