Children's Mercy Round III.....

We are so blessed to have been able to spend Thanksgiving with our family. The next day, it was apparent that Nicolette's shunt wasn't working. We rushed back to the hospital, and Nicolette went in for three major and one minor procedures (e.i., ETV, CPC, Fenestration, and a shunt revision). 

During surgery, the surgeon was shocked and excited to see her brain "relax" and shift into the "normal" positioning. MRIs showed her brain had tripled in size!   Here are the updated MRI images; the left is post op and the right is at birth.

Nicolette is still recovering... but it looks like there just may be fewer shunt revisions in her future! AND THAT would truly be a blessing (Hugs)!

Children's Mercy Round II

Nicolette had her first post op check up on Tuesday. There were several concerns. A 5-hour appointment and multiple ultrasounds later, it was discovered that her valve on her shunt had stopped working and the pressure in her head was higher than it had been prior to surgery. There was also free floating fluid in her stomach that suggested she wasn't absorbing her CSF.  After some discussion, it was decided that it was time to go back to surgery.

After waiting four hours for a room and comforting a very grumpy, very hungry baby, Nicolette went into surgery for three hours. Her valve was replaced, her shunt put back into her body (amazing news-we were scared they would have to externalize it), and her fluid sent to the lab (it was colored which was concerning). Her breathing before and during surgery was shallow and abnormal. Because of this, the team decided to send her to PICU to monitor her overnight. We are hoping to go home Friday.

We got to visit her after surgery. She was all smiles and high as a kite. Still cute as a button though! Her strength amazes us every day. What a fighter! What a trooper!!! Did I mention she is adorable?!

And she rocked KU colors all the way home a week later.