Back from Hospital- VP Shunt Surgery

[floridahydrowoman]

First of all I want to thank every single one of you, for reading my posts and for your thoughtful advices and support. It meant a lot to me.
The surgery was last tuesday and I was released the day after. I don't have the horrible headaches that I had prior the surgery. Other discomforts are showing up, like the strong pains in the lower abdomen, almost in the groint sometimes during the day, and the dizzyness.
I am very self concious of the whole procedure, and I looked at the CT scan and the X-rays and honestly it freaked me out a little. I saw that catheter inside my brain and well, it looks weird.
I wonder how is your life after the VP Shunt for every one of us. Do you work? Do you have any physical restrictions?
I assume the more the time passes, the more used to it I will get to it, but at this moment I am thinking too much about it and it doesn't help.
How normal our lives will be or have become in your cases with the VP Shunt inserted? By the way, all pain meds have been removed by my doctor, only Tylenol or Aleve is necessary.
Many Hugs to all of you that were step by step on the previous weeks to my surgery. Send me your thoughts and God Bless you all.
:grouphug:

[jadiee-x]

Hey,
Im so glad you havent got the headaches you had prior the operation and i hope it stays that way!! :)
The irritation in the abdomen, may well be just due to the abdomen getting used to a foreign object being placed there, if it doesnt strat getting better in a few weeks, its worth mentioning it to you NS so he can check whether its caused any complications.

I was back in this week, with headaches...had an ICP bolt inserted and measured for 2 days, turned out i had low pressure where my shunt is working a bit too well. Im home now after a weeks stay, but back next week to have my shunt valve changed to a programmable so they can adjust it without removing it when its either under draining or over draining, so they will only have to change it if and when it blocks or breaks.

I had a lovely surprise in the hospital, the contestants from the xfactor came round, was great. Such lovely lads!! <3

I hope youre well and are back to perfect health in no time :)

[jeff179120]

I can give you some encouraging advice. I had VP shunt surgery in 1998. I returned to work 17 weeks later, actually just one day before 17 weeks, so under federal law, my radio station manager couldn't fire me. But one day after the 17 weeks, he laid me off and left me with no money at Christmas time. But I didn't give up. I went to work as a newspaper reporter on a contract basis at another former employer. Then, I agreed to work as a replacement worker in a strike out of town, but after a night in a hotel room there, the strike was settled. My reward was a full-time position with benefits. That job lasted another six years, before the newspaper switched my position to a job I couldn't do. So I went to the doctor, got a form signed that I couldn't work and now I'm on long-term disability, which gives me 60 per cent of my wages, plus all my benefits. The moral of the story is don't give up on working until you have to. My neurosurgeons have all told me, the more I keep my brain active, the longer it will last. Hope this helps...Jeff