Feb 27 2009
Shunt Surgery; Say A Prayer for Lena
It is February 27, and Lena is in surgery as I type this. Last time Lena had shunt surgery, she was just a little baby and took it all in stride pretty well. She’d been through so many surgeries that she’d become a little trooper at the process.
It’s been over a year since she needed shunt surgery, and today she was one terrified little girl. She had to be intubated before the surgery, and didn’t understand why she couldn’t talk or call out to her Mommy or even cry. Just big alligator tears with no sound to go with them and that horrible scary thing in her throat.
The doctors are going to put in an external shunt, and then she’ll have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to be sure there is no infection. If her tests are clear of infection in 4 days, she will go back into surgery to have a new shunt inserted. If there is infection, she’ll have to stay in longer. Either way, there’s another surgery before she can go back home.
Kassie is at home with her Nana and Poppa. Daddy will be coming home for the night, but she’s one confused little girl because her mommy and sister left and didn’t come home all day, not even for bedtime.
If you could say a little prayer or think good thoughts for Lena, Kassie and their Mommy, it would be very appreciated. Right now, they would appreciate all the sunshine, hugs or prayers you can send them.
P.S. I’ll update when I hear back from Korrina post surgery.
52 Responses to “Shunt Surgery; Say A Prayer for Lena”
Thinking of you all!
You certainly have our prayers. I pray there will be no infection and the shunt can be placed without any complications. (((hugs))) and lots of love.
Angela
Korrina, I know there are times when you’re probably even too tired to pray. For those times, use this list to choose and ask a Patron Saint to pray for you (right along with all those aunties who have candles in windows and say prayers you never know about…).
It’s alphabetical.
Hugs to you and your little angels. <3
The kids and I will continue to keep your angels in our prayers, hope everything goes well.
Hope Lena’s surgery went well and she’s recovering well!
I wanted to ask you to send me an email at angwilhelm@gmail.com so I can send you an invite to read my blog! I have gone “invite only” for the time being!
(((hugs)))
Angela
Hope the surgery went well…. The girls are in our prayers..
We just found out yesterday that our little girl has a hole from her grade 4 IVH..
Lena is in my thoughts and I hope everything goes(went) well
Poor Lena - and you. Both of you are fighters.
Does your other twin have hydrocephalia?
how is she doing?
Hi my name is dinah and i had a son that was born with hydrocephalus and i had gave up all hope but my family and so many other people prayed for my son and finally i realized that i couldn’t do it without God on my side so i turned to God and i told him that i placed my son into his hands and whatever his will is let it be done but give me the strength to except the things that i can’t change. At that time i stopped worring because i knew i couldn’t place him in no better hands and i promise you things started to turn around for him i promise you when you let go and let God you can’t go wrong. No matter how bad Lena’s situation is keep the faith and don’t let the devil steal it from you cause he can be so busy at times and before you know he will have your faith that you thought you had so just keep the faith cause faith is what moves God and always know that God is the healer of all healers and with God we are everything and without God we are nothing. So let this be words of encouragement to you and i will keep lena in my prayers and if you need to email about anything my email address is dinah.stephens@yahoo.com feel free at anytime to email me and my prayers really go out to you lena and her sister. Inspite of it all keep the FAITH.
Having been in that very situation I would say he/she would be in for three days, at least that was my average in my teen years, and you would take it slow; you would probably want to get excused from PE for a couple of weeks, but this is just an educated guess, I would ask your neurosurgeon to be sure.
I have already done the colonoscopy and upper GI tests. As far as “managing” the device, these shunts are programmable as to how much of the fluid they drain. To make them drain more or less the neuro will put a magnetic type of device by the shunt (the programmable part of them is usually behind the ear) and adjust the flow up or down.
hey, how is everything? it’s been over a year since your last post!
Lovely baby with have a quite smile ………
How are you baby?always keep smile…..
Hi
I am very happy to see your wonderful little girls are doing great, even if one of them is needing surgery. I found your website while looking for information on spells.
My two babies were born prematurely, Alixe in Oct 08 at 30 weeks 3 days and Mathis on July 4th this year at 26 weeks 6 days. My little man is sadly sick, lot’s of spells that need bagging and I sadly witness him turning blue yesterday as he had a bad spell while I was reading him a story.
My heart stopped and sank while I was looking at his number coming down lower and lower. Sadly me and hubby don’t really have anyone to talk to about this and are feeling pretty isolated, so your website gave me hope that things are going to turn for the best.
Thank you again, I will keep on reading you
Nancy
Can a chemical use in your hair cause problem in your shunt?
I had a little boy 6 weeks ago (Sam) and reading your story suddenly has so much more impact to me. It’s amazing how a child can turn your mind into a completely different track. I seem to see children everywhere now and every decision seems to start with them. I can’t imagine what I’d be like if we were having to deal with more than just sleepless nights.
I think it is a good platform that have a good and a positive direction on this topic.I will follow these steps.
Very cute looking kid in all pics. I hope she will be fine soon. My dad also suffered from it and now he’s fully fit. Doing their regular work as did.
Thanks for sharing..
Korrina,
I JUST WANT TO FIRST THANK GOD FOR HELPI NG ME EVEN FIND THIS WEBSITE AFTER COUNTLESS OF HOURS OF LOOKING FOR SOME POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR BABIES JUST LIKE MINE. NEXT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR POSTING YOUR STORY. I KNOW GOD HAS LEAD ME HEAR BECAUSE I WAS JUST ABOUT GIVING UP ON HOPE FOR MY SON. I SHARE A SIMILAR STORY AS YOURS. MY SON WAS BORN AT 23 WEEKS GESTATION WITH NO WARNING SIGNS. ONE DAY I JUST WOKE UP IN SERVER PAIN AND I WENT INTO THE HOSPITAL AND DELIVERED MY SON 1 HOUR LATER. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD WHEN THEY WRAPED HIM UP AND HANDED HIM TO ME. HIS DAD GRAB HIM FROM MY ARMS AND SOBBED AS HE RUBBED HIS BACK. MY BABY THEN TOOK A BREATH. HIS DAD TOLD THE DOCTOR, WHO WAS WRITING UP A DEATH CERTIFICATE THAT MY SON JUST OPENED HIS MOUTH AND THE DOCTORS RESPONSE WAS “THAT WAS NORMAL; HE WAS PROBABLY TAKING HIS LAST BREATH”. HE THEN SAID THAT HE COULD WORK ON OUR BABY IF WE WANTED HIM TOO BUT HE WOULD HAVE TO GET HIS HEART RATE TO A CERTAIN POINT. OF COURSE WE SAID YES AND 5 MINUTES LATER THEY GOT HIS HEART RATE UP. THIS WAS AROUND 10AM, ABOUT 5AM THAT NEXT MORING THEY WERE CALLING ME FROM MY ROOM TO HOLD HIM AGAIN BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT HE WOULDN’T MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT. WE HAD THE CHAPLIN DEDICATE HIM TO THE LORD AND THEN I JUST PRAYED WITH HIM UNTIL I FELT THAT THAT WAS ALL I COULD DO. I THEN WENT TO MY ROOM WHERE I CRIED MY EYES OUT AND PRAYED TILL I FELL ASLEEP. ABOUT 2 HOURS LATER HE WAS STABLE. THAT WAS JULY 31ST 2010. SINCE THEN MY SON HAS BEEN DIGNOISED WITH A GRADE 3 BLEED ON ONE SIDE OF HIS BRAIN AND A GRADE 4 ON THE OTHER. HE HAS HAD A VAD PUT UNDER HIS SCALP THAT THEY TAP DAILY TO REMOVE FLUID FROM HIS BRAIN. HE SUFFERS FROM SEIZURES, AND NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE. HE HAS HAD TO HAVE A PDA SURGERY TO CLOSE A VALVE IN HIS HEART AND TWO LASER SURGERIES ON BOTH EYES FOR ROP. HE NOW HAS TO UNDERGO ANOTHER SURGERY TO HIS RIGHT EYE FOR A DETACHED RETNA IN WHICH THEY SAY HE COULD BE BLIND. AFTER GETTING THIS BAD NEWS ABOUT HIS EYES TODAY I BROKE DOWN AND I DECIDED TO LOOK UP THE PROGNOSIS FOR THE THINGS HE WAS GOING THROUGH AND I FOUND YOUR WEBSITE. I FELT LIKE IT WAS GOD LEAD ME TO YOUR WEBSITE AND WAS TELLING ME NOT TO GIVE UP HOPE. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A VERY STRONG PERSON, BUT SEEING MY BABY THEIR SUFFERING AND FEELING LIKE I AM THE CAUSE OF IT HAS REALLY TAKEN A TOLL ON MY HEART. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW YOU AND THE GIRLS DOING NOW, AND WHAT SUPPORT GROUPS DID YOU FIND TO HELP YOU DEAL WITH THESE OVER WHELMING CIRCUMSTANCES? IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN TELL ME TO HELP ME I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
I think that God may not accept prayers of the people of India, but prayer gives them satisfaction. What are your opinion?
Hi,
It is a well care info of babys.I read this article.It is really helpful post.
My friend is interested in natural ways and all I know so far is olive oil is good for babies. I was wondering if anyone knows what are some natural ways for baby care?
My dog has the diasese and we need to now how long the surgery will take.How long does the portosytemactic shunt surgery take? Any help is appreciated!!
You will be in our prayers. I will be looking forward to your update on this.
- Robert
She will soon get well. She’s really very cute.I totally agree with comments that mentioned above such type of disease demands intensive care.
God will soon make it happen. I will prey for her…
I was amazed at the quality of blog. Keep up the excellent work. Nice work on your blog.
In my opinion, tube shunt surgery and trabeculectomy with mitomycin C are good options for managing glaucoma in patients with prior cataract and glaucoma surgery.
Shunt surgery is not a small surgery,she will take sometime to get well.
She needed intensive care and I know her mom deliver to her.She’s very cute and charming.I will prey for her and her rest further life….
I just stumbled upon this website and read your story about Lena. My prayers go out to you and your family for now and the road that lies ahead. I pray that a miracle happens and that you would no longer have to go through things like this. But it’s something like this that make us who we are and much stronger for it. Bless you
WONDERFUL Post. Thanks for the share..
I admit it my main reason of buying p90x is its resulst.Just believe it dinmomnidyf.Thanks
How long would a 14 year old expect to be in hospital after shunt surgery for hydrocephalus?
Glad I’m the first where the others are concerned. Gheez no respect for these beautiful children. Evan
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I pray to God that this sweet kid comes out of surgery without any complications at all. Going through so much at this age is very difficult for a kid.
How are the girls doing now?
i knew i couldn’t place him in no better hands and i promise you things started to turn around for him i promise you when you let go and let God you can’t go wrong. No matter how bad Lena’s situation is keep the faith
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Just big alligator tears with no sound to go with them and that horrible scary thing in her throat.
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i ws infected with hydrocephallus 4th ventrical outlet obstruction….den i ws operated 4 vp shunt surgery…programmable shunt ws introduced in the 4th ventrical…wat precautions shud i take for future …….no one in my family background had ever had dis problem….wat cud be the reasons 4 dis disease…i still cant figure it out as to y i ws infected with dis….n wat r the possibilities that i can encounter such prob again
How long would a 14 year old expect to be in hospital after shunt surgery for hydrocephalus?
Thanks for your support. As you well know we all need any we can get. I was doing pretty good for the last week, but the other day I drove and did a few errands that put me on the couch for two days.
i need a shunt,and i read on medlineplus,that you have to lay dpwn in the hospital bed for 24 hours. why? what happens if i get up to go pee,or just wanna move around? this is my first shunt surgery. im 18.
I wonder how she had surgery in small age.She’s very cute.I will prey for her and hope she will be 100% fit soon.
i had surgery to have a programable shunt put in for hydrcephalaus been having trouble with concentration and decision making before surgery just wondering if the surgery is going to help that
Lena had a major brain surgery,I hope she will be better soon.I know more about this surgery as it happened to one of my family member.She will recover as she growing.
Shunt malfunction is usually a problem with a partial or complete blockage of the shunt. The fluid backs up from the site of the obstruction and, if the blockage is not corrected, almost always results in recurrent symptoms of hydrocephalus.
i need a shunt,and i read on medlineplus,that you have to lay dpwn in the hospital bed for 24 hours. why? what happens if i get up to go pee,or just wanna move around? this is my first shunt surgery. im 18.