Roller Coaster

The arterial line is out. The catheter is out. The oxygen is off. His blood pressure is fine but we're hanging out in the ICU a few more hours because it dropped a bit this morning. They think it was from the sedation which is now off.

He's a little jumpy at times. I think it's probably because he's so swollen that he can't see much. He is still very sleepy but when he wakes up he is still very very Jack!

We got some unexpected news yesterday. Jack's VP shunt pressure was high. The front part of the shunt was doing its job of draining the ventricles but the valve which prevents the shunt from draining the ventricles too much or too quickly has "gunked up". The shunt needs to be replaced and so the conundrum begins.

I'm tired so my explanation may not be the best right now. Jack's brain needs time to fill in the new space created and the surgery site to heal. If the shunt is replaced before the dura has time to "stick" to the new forehead area, we run the risk of creating an open area for the brain to bounce around in and increase the risk of infection from a non-healing wound. On the other hand, we don't want high pressure in the ventricles to drive the brain into the space.

The neurosurgeon, Dr. Swift, will tap the shunt again sometime before we leave and we'll have another MRI scan. Then we will make a plan.

It is good to have confirmation that it really was the right time to have this cranial vault. It's not so good to be hopping back on the surgery roller coaster.

Thank you all again for all your outpouring of love and prayers. Please continue to join us in praising God for his great mercy and the miracle of restful sleep as we also continue to pray for wisdom and guidance for us and Jack's doctors.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry