Hydrocephalus Support Group

My mom had a vp shunt placed on November 21,2011. She has/had normal pressure hydroencephalus. I was wondering when we would see a improvement.

thanks,

becky

I guess that would depend on what kinds of issues your mother was having before the surgery and what kind of improvements you are hoping to see.

I do not have NPH, but I have obstructive hydro. My case was very severe when it was discovered, so I had IMMEDIATE improvements when the pressure was relieved from my brain. HOWEVER, that didn't mean that I didn't have other odd occurrences due to decompression.

Among my most prominent issues prior to surgery were unsteady gait, dizziness, extreme headaches, urinary incontinence. Those symptoms were immediately satisfied by the relief of pressure. I could tell the MOMENT I stood up from my hospital bed that my balance was restored and that my incontinence went away. However, incontinence and dizziness did eventually reemerge after several months. But, my brain had been under extreme pressure for 37 years, so hoping for a complete reversal of these symptoms was a lot to ask for!

Following surgery, however, I struggled with sensory overload, loss of depth perception, and odd visual issues like reading/seeing packages incorrectly. For example: buying/opening items I didn't intend to buy or open because I "saw" the item incorrectly i.e. thought I bought a variety of ice creams -- 3 different flavors -- but purchase 3 cartons of vanilla. I intended to open a can of stewed tomatoes, but opened a can of green beans instead. I also would get lost in my hometown. These additional issues continued for 6 months to a year.

If your mother did not have overwhelming pressure for an extended period of time, I don't think she should encounter issues with decompression. I did, however, because my brain matter had been so severely crushed that relieving the pressure was like taking a cinderblock off of a foam cushion. It took quite a bit of time for my brain to revert to a near-normal form and it needed time to "remap".

Is she home now? In a nursing facility? Was she capable of caring for herself before surgery?

~Mary

Thanks for your reply. My mom had dizziness, fall, unsteady gait, moderate to severe memomry loss and confusion. She had a very poor appeptite. She is at home.

I hope her memory loss and confusion get better soon.

I wish you good health.

Becky

There is an elderly gentleman from my church that has been shunted for NPH. In talking with his wife several years ago, she stated at that time that the shunt had made a significant difference in her husband's life. Now, it has been several years since (maybe 6 or 7 years), and he is aging (of course), I'm sure he is "better" than he would have been had he not been shunted, but he is now using a walker and is still unsteady.

I understand your fears with memory loss and confusion. My father had early-onset Alzheimer's Disease -- losing his ability to hold a job at age 48. (He then lost his ability to communicate by age 55.) I was losing my ability to manage a household at age 37 when my hydro was dx'ed. I was CERTAIN that I was on the road to early dementia.

I think that your mother may have SOME improvement with confusion, but as my NS says, brains lose their ability to cope with stressors as we age. I think by placing a shunt, you are slowing the process down, but recovering lost abilities might be kind of iffy.

I think poor appetite comes with aging and perhaps depression. I WISH my appetite was poor! So, I don't think that will change any with the shunt placement. Forgetting to eat, though, could be part of her memory loss and confusion.

I wish I could tell you that things will improve. I think with elderly patients it is going to take them a lot of extra time to mend. Surgery and anesthesia are hard to recover from as we age, and the anesthesia can cause memory loss, too. So, I'm not sure that you are going to see any improvements quickly. My guess is that if she is going to show improvements, it could be a couple of months. (Also winter and the holidays can be tiresome and overwhelming to the aged.)

So, are you stopping in to care for her, or having a visiting nurse/caregiver come by daily, or a few days of week, to check on her? Caregiving for someone with dementia is OVERWHELMING, so I wish you the best, and URGE you to take care of yourself and ASK for HELP! My mother cared for my ailing father and died suddenly of a stroke at age 57. Please, PLEASE, care for yourself FIRST and ASK for HELP when you need it!

Praying for you,

~Mary