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phooeyf

I am a 69 year old happily married male who knew nothing about this until I fell quickly about 7 years ago while walking across the parking lot toward a Sears store. It took me by surprise!

Five neurologists and much physical therapy later I insisted upon an MRI of my brain. The film looked like Chesapeake Bay with a tiny bit of brain floating around in it! Prior to that first fall I lived an active life with good grades in all schools and much interest in music. Today I write songs on a regular basis.

On 5/6/2001 I had a Codman programmable shunt installed and was told by the doctor that he made a big mistake and had to re-do it. Frightened, I sent all files to the John Hopkins Hydrocephalus program and asked for their advice. Both the neurologist in charge and his neurosurgeon called me and said that I was simply an enigma. No one can explain how I can be living a normal life until now…but sometimes it rarely happens.

My neurosurgeon said they didn't reach the ventricles with the tubing… apparently he cut it too short…he had to replace the shunt and not shorten the tubing at all. Now I get adjustments when the symptoms i.e. Hakim Triad appear. I don't do much but I'm grateful for what I can do. My mind is clear and I try to remember what the Apostle Paul asked in Corinthians at chapter 4:7.."What do you have that you did not receive?" I know one thing for sure: I asked Jehovah God for the little girl I saw for the first time on 9/8/1948 in the 6th grade classroom to be my wife and when we got old enough to marry. It has been over 47 years now and she remains the one person in whose company I experience total joy!