We had Leah's follow-up head ultrasound and appointment with our neuro today. The ultrasound showed that her ventricles are slightly larger than they were 2 weeks ago, and her head growth is right in the normal range. So the good news is that she doesn't need a shunt revision right now... the bad news is that we think it's going to happen sooner than later. Her ventricles were slightly enlarged, but not so much that there is a definite answer. Leah is in great spirits, she's eating and sleeping normally, she's not overly fussy or showing other signs of shunt failure.
Our neuro was able to check to see whether her shunt is actually working. He inserted a needle into her head where the shunt is and pulled out some fluid. Leah did NOT like that (who would??)! She had to lay on her side while I held her head steady. There was a good flow of spinal fluid that came out, which is a good thing - it means that the shunt is able to drain - but he said that it didn't come out as quickly as a new shunt would have. So again, some good news and some not so good news. He wants us to come back in another 2 weeks to check ventricles again and see how things look.
The obvious question is why aren't we going in right now for a shunt revision when it's inevitable? The answer is because it's still working, albeit not as well, but our neuro team is fairly conservative and don't want to replace something that is still working for her. We said this in November when we were deciding when to do the shunt that any day without a shunt (and now revision) is good. She will likely have more surgeries for her shunt, so we want to do as few of them as we can. If that means waiting even a couple more days, it will be worth it in the long run.
And so we wait some more. This just makes me realize that there is not a single answer for how to treat her condition. It also makes me really thankful for everyday we go without doing surgery. Thank you to everyone who is thinking of us, praying for us, and supporting us. It makes it easier knowing there are so many people out there rooting for us and our amazing little baby.
Holy tough girl, Batman!! I wouldn't like that needle either... and I would have had a hard time as a mommy having to do that. You rock Jen!! I'm glad the shunt is still working and that the experts are all around you guys... As much as we'd rather have you right by us, I'm glad you are where Leah's team is because they just seem to have it all together!! Feel free to call us when you have tough days like that... we may not have been there but we're always thinking about you and her and praying that she has the easiest road possible. Love you and thanks for taking such good care of our niece!! She's so super cute and sweet!!
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