Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Drain

Carly's surgery went smoothly today and she is now resting in the PICU.  It took just under 3 hours for the entire procedure, with the biopsy taking the most time.  Because of the protein and debris in Carly's CSF it wasn't easy for Dr. Gupta to look around with the scope, so he had to spend some time irrigating with saline. Nothing stood out in the initial results, and there was no obvious sign of tumor which is great news.

We will now spend the week in the PICU with the external drain in place.  They are going to monitor the protein levels and CSF production, and run a few tests each day to see if that can shed some light on the perpetual shunt clogging issues. The drain is a bit cumbersome because anytime we want to move Carly we must first close it, then move Carly, then realign the collection bag with the center of Carly's head using a laser pointer, then open the drain back up again.  It takes 2-3 people to make this happen, but she is a trooper and is more than happy to deal with that to get snuggled.

Love, Brad

10 comments:

Susan said...

Thanks for the update. I hope the week flies by, though I know it's not the funnest place to be. I hope the rock star doctors and nurses make it all smooth. XOXO

Anonymous said...

Sending you our love and support, as always.... Cécile

Mindy, Drew, Layla and Chloe said...

OOoooh, I want to snuggle with her, too. She is so very fortunate to be surrounded by you, that great team and all this love. May this week go smoothly and give you the answers you're looking for. Much love to all of you, including the staff and doctors at the hospital.

Tutu said...

She is indeed the bravest of troopers, learning from the best.
You are all in our thoughts and prayers, Dr. Gupta too as he searches for the answer to these protein issues. Kisses to Carly Braveheart.

sheila and keith said...

thank you for the update. hope the week turns up some new information that can help the doctors better address the shunt clogging issue. you are in our thoughts and we are always sending love to you three, especially Carly. wishing for lots of snuggles and more good news for your brave girl this week,
sheila & keith

Unknown said...

Thinking about you guys this week. Hope it goes well.
love,
Penny

Anonymous said...

I hope the week passes quickly and you get some answers for the shunt issues. Will send prayers your way.

Tammy

Jen Wagner said...

Oh no, it must be so hard on you all not to be able to snuggle at will! Hoping some pieces of the puzzle fall into place this week and that you all get back home as soon as possible. Much love. xoxoxox

k.springer said...

As always, you are in my prayers.
keep the hugs and snuggles going.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update. You are all in my thougths and prayers.
Donna