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Elspode · 12-23-2003, 12:20 AM

Yesterday evening, the doc incised Steve's breast area and pulled the distal end of the shunt tubing out of his peritoneum. He is now draining the CSF into a reservoir and measuring the output every two hours. The shunt is apparently working exactly as it should, because Steve is doing everything but tap dancing today. No headache, he has memory, eating like a horse, watching TV and bemoaning being stuck in hospital over Xmas!

The infection is rapidly having its ass kicked, and as such, he no longer resembles a certain spinach-eating Max Fleischer cartoon character. The doctor stated this evening that he would definitely be removing the existing revised shunt and putting a new system on the other side of his head. Apparently, there was something obstructing the abdominal drain tube, despite all imaging appearances and even what was indicated by manually flowing fluid through it. Whaddya gonna do? It works outside of the body, but not inside, and you can't put the existing tube back once it is out.

If everything stays copacetic and according to plan, we should be able to get him home in time for New Year! In the meantime, I ask you to keep consciously sending out those energies, prayers and good vibes. They work. They absolutely do work.

Oh, and BTW, because of the infection, they moved Steve into a private room, which is actually a two bed room with only one bed in it, meaning that I have a free phone line and extra TV, plus lots of room to spread out in while staying with him. Therefore, the laptop is here, and I feel much less confined. So does he, as he was able to check his email and do a little MSN chatting this evening. Freaked the doctor out when he came in and saw him sitting up in bed typing, so dramatic was the turnaround from his condition yesterday.

12-23-2003, 12:20 AM	#55
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Yesterday evening, the doc incised Steve's breast area and pulled the distal end of the shunt tubing out of his peritoneum. He is now draining the CSF into a reservoir and measuring the output every two hours. The shunt is apparently working exactly as it should, because Steve is doing everything but tap dancing today. No headache, he has memory, eating like a horse, watching TV and bemoaning being stuck in hospital over Xmas! The infection is rapidly having its ass kicked, and as such, he no longer resembles a certain spinach-eating Max Fleischer cartoon character. The doctor stated this evening that he would definitely be removing the existing revised shunt and putting a new system on the other side of his head. Apparently, there was something obstructing the abdominal drain tube, despite all imaging appearances and even what was indicated by manually flowing fluid through it. Whaddya gonna do? It works outside of the body, but not inside, and you can't put the existing tube back once it is out. If everything stays copacetic and according to plan, we should be able to get him home in time for New Year! In the meantime, I ask you to keep consciously sending out those energies, prayers and good vibes. They work. They absolutely do work. Oh, and BTW, because of the infection, they moved Steve into a private room, which is actually a two bed room with only one bed in it, meaning that I have a free phone line and extra TV, plus lots of room to spread out in while staying with him. Therefore, the laptop is here, and I feel much less confined. So does he, as he was able to check his email and do a little MSN chatting this evening. Freaked the doctor out when he came in and saw him sitting up in bed typing, so dramatic was the turnaround from his condition yesterday. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog Last edited by Elspode; 12-23-2003 at 12:49 AM.