Neurology Update

We had our first out-patient neurology appointment yesterday. The nurse removed the bandage that has been covering the shunt incision on the left side of Annabelle's head. The nurse decided to remove the stitches but before she did, she turned to the wife and said, "You aren't going to cry, are you? Because if you cry, I will cry and then we will never get through this. I have a new 5-month-old baby at home and I used to never cry over these things but now I do."

The wife agreed to sit down and I agreed to help hold Annabelle's head still while the nurse pulled the stitches out. I had a front-row seat to a few minutes of unpleasantness. Afterward, little Annie fell asleep (probably from the trauma of it all) and we three adults congratulated each other on not falling apart.

Annie Lu still has the gauze bandage on her stomach where they inserted the shunt into her abdomen but the nurse expected that to come off on its own in the next two weeks.

The sight of the scar on Annie's head is a little tough to deal with but a couple thoughts help:

1) The visible bump on Bella's head where the shunt is placed is about 1 1/2 inches long. While this seems HUGE on her little noggin right now, her head will grow in size while the shunt will not - making it less and less noticeable

2) Annabelle's hair will eventually grow over the spot and no one will know it is there

Although it sounds strange, neurology's part in this drama is largely done. We will go back in January for a head CT and a series of x-rays to check out the shunt system.

Other than that, neurology will not play much of a role for the next year or so unless we see signs of shunt malfunction or developmental issues.

The nurse explained that if there is going to be a problem with the shunt, it will most likely occur sooner rather than later - the longer the shunt is in without incident, the less likely it is that Annabelle will ever develop a problem with it.

Things we are supposed to watch for that may indicate complications with the shunt or the Chiari 2 malformation:

- Swelling around the shunt, head or abdomen
-- Fever over 101.5
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Gagging

So there it is. Annabelle is bright and alert, recognizes voices and tracks sound with the movement of her eyes. With the exception of the shunt, the surgery on her back and the absence of movement (so far) in her legs, she seems to be a perfect little girl and we are continuing to count our blessings.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!