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My experience getting a shunt was a nightmare. The first one (a research kind)
failed in the first month and put my body into uncontrolled AD.
The renowned neurosurgeon who did my surgery in Brooklyn, NY ... couldn't
believe "his baby" of a shunt failed. But it did.
He revised it by taking the suboccipital lobe shunt out and putting one in my
pleural (lung lining) cavity. He had forgotten to close the burr hole left from
the other shunt and my autonomic nervpus system went haywire for
2 weeks. With CSF leaking out the back of my head, severe head pounding AD, etc.
We (me & family) had not a clue why I was so sick and the jerk of a Dr had
no idea either yet he rarely came in to see me! Just his residents!
After getting meningitus from the CSF leaking and going unconcious when my
temp was 105.2 ... all hell broke loose. He finally went in and stitched the
hole closed. Later saying that "it closes naturally in most people so I didn't
know that was the problem."
This by a Dr who does syringomyelia research on CADAVERS!
I'm convinced he thought I'd die and I'd make a fine "study."
Yes, I tried to sue but got nowhere.
Messing with the cord is scary business. Never again for me!
Lori Michaelson
Age - 41
C4/5 complete quad, 26 years post
Tucson, AZ
-------Original Message-------
Date: 10/19/05 22:30:17
Subject: [QUAD-L] Hi Dana
hi,
I have called craig hospital and sent them my mris, they verified I had a syrinx. I was ready to travel there until I found out United Healthcare wont cover me there. A neurosurgeon here in St. Louiswhere I live agreed to do the surgery, but he was going to put a shunt in me. Im not to enthused about getting a shunt, Craig tries to collapse first then outs in a shunt if necessary. So Im just going to live with a syrinx until I verify that it is getting bigger or Im losing function. Other than that Im doing pretty good health wise, its just amazing when your a Quad what can change overnight. Anyway nice to meet you.
Ron
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