Just Another Day

For those of you who like the short of it, Rosalie had a better day.

For those of you who like the details, here goes . . .

A secondary condition that Rosalie had as a result of her brain tumor is something called hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain usually due to a blockage. This results in increased intracranial pressure. In Rosalie's case, the tumor was causing the blockage of CSF outflow and causing hydrocephalus.

In some cases, removing the tumor itself sets the CSF back to equilibrium - in other cases, it doesn't, and the intracranial pressure builds up again. If this happens they surgically install a shunt which is like a little tube that drains fluid from your brain into your abdomin. Crazy huh?

Many of the signs of increased ICP are neurological (like eye issues, slurred speech, altered state of consciousness), but vomiting can also be a sign of increased ICP.

So last night the doctors wanted to have Rosalie get a CT make sure that her vomiting wasn't a sign of increased ICP.

For a CT, Rosalie needs to remain absolutely still on a board for about five minutes. This doesn't sound like such a big deal to an adult - but for those of you familiar with two year olds you know that it is a more difficult proposition.

Mark was there for the procedure. They gave her some Ativan (in the valium family) and apparently she was a champ lying still with her head in the donut of the CT scanner.

The results show that everything looks just fine. So it was nice to rule out the shunt for now. It is still possible that Rosalie could need one in the future. Time will tell. For now, I'm just happy that my baby doesn't need another surgery.

This is the roller coaster of this journey. First, the very mention of a CT scan brings back very scary memories of Friday, May 12 when Rosalie was diagnosed. In last night's situation, I had mentally prepared myself for the possibility that Rosalie might need another surgery to protect myself from shock - and then the news came that the CT looked fine. I was euphoric.

Keep the good news coming!

Go, Rosalie.