shunt - hydrocephalus

jaezip · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject: shunt - hydrocephalus

My husband's language and word recall has dramatically declined in last 6 weeks and doc thinks it could be hydro and wants to do surgery to insert a shunt. Does anyone have any experience with this? He does not have other symptoms of gait slowness, incontinence, etc. We will do a SPECT scan and mri to get more info, but need to stop the avastin for 3 weeks to do a spinal tap and shunt procedure, so he'll miss 1 treatment. AND we may not have time to do spinal tap - wait a few days to see any clinical signs of improvement = and get back on avastin. This is so nerve wracking... and because of holidays we are juggling docs days off, etc.

Mostly I'm wanting to know of others who have had shunts and how they have worked/not worked to relieve language/verbal/cognitive decline.

thanks

J
_________________
husband dx 3/07 gbm inoperable 30 radiation/temador
currently avastin/cpt11

brainman · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: Re: shunt - hydrocephalus

jaezip, I am so sorry about your husband's cancer. My mother died of a GBM grade IV over 9 years ago only 2 months after her diagnosis. However, she did opt for no treatment.

I have heard of shunts being used to remove fluids from the brain. The hope is that by removing the fluid the person's symptoms will go away or at least be less of a problem. Hopefully, it will help slow down your husband's verbal and cognitive decline.

You and your husband are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
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SFGiants13 · Senior User Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 115 Location: CA SF

Hi Jaezip. I had my VP Shunt implanted on my right backside of my head in early 02. As the yrs gone by my verbal communication became strange for a while for example I would stutter sometimes or pause in-between and would have to think for a second of what to say next. I'm not sure if this was caused by the shunt or the treatments. So far I've been fine. I have met 4 people in the past, young adults and older who have VP Shunts in different areas of their heads and seem to be fine. The biggest side effect I've had would be the poking pains around the abdominal area where the shunt tube drains and the line at the neck area. Since 02, I would experience these sharp poking pains in the right side of my neck and right side of my abdominal and on the pain scale from 1 to 10, most of the time I experience a 3 or 1 which it'll bother a little but will feel okay. I've experienced a 10 a few times and was rushed to the hospital, like someone stabbed a knife into my stomach. I’ve spoken to someone who had experienced the poking pains in the past. I would say everybody would feel a different experience, for me it's been tough since the poking comes around sometimes but not occasionally. I have spoken to my surgeon and he said it has been working just fine, but as for the poking, people say that the line may be close to nerves, which could explain the pains. I hope your husband won't experience the same problems as me. Take care.

Noid · Experienced user Joined: 16 Oct 2007 Posts: 57

My only experience with a shunt is from my best friend. She has hydrocephalis with pseudotumor cerebri. I visit her pretty often. She had a shunt put in a little less than a year ago, and so far she dosen't have any complications. She is still very tired and nausious from time to time. She is being treated at Johns Hopkins, and seems to be her old self most of the time. She showed me where the shunt was, and you can actually feel it under the skin of her head. She said that johns hopkins custom made the mount for the shunt. I think she told me it drained into her heart..but I've heard it usually drains into the stomache. If it's any help at all in consoling you, my friends condition improved a great deal after the shunt was installed. It's weird. We both got sick about the same time. Both with our brains. I have a tumor..she has pseudotumor. I so far, don't have hydrocephalus. I hope your husband does well with his shunt. From what I understand from my friend, the surgery went easily, with few complications, and she was relieved to have the pressure taken off her brain.

best wishes to you and your husband.

Noid

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