Makenna has been out of the hospital for almost 2 years this May 2012. She was recently admitted to Dayton Children's Hospital on April 9, 2012 due to some changes in her behavior. After her admission she was sent to CT Scan. The scan revealed 4th ventricle enlargement. Prior to this admission Makenna had place an ETV drain ( small tube inserted into the floor of the 3rd ventricle in her brain. This ETV became blocked and enlarged the ventricles, thus increasing the size of her head circumferance. Makenna's neurosurgeon Dr. Laurence Kleiner felt surgery was needed to investigate the cause of the trouble. Once inside the brain he learned that scar tissue was the culprit and that it formed entirely around the original openning to the drain. The ETV was removed and replaced with a new one in a new location. Makenna is now in the PICU and using an EVS ( a monintor that determines the flow of CSF ( cerbral spinal fluid) that is drained from her brain. She will be on this monitor for 3 days for observation. The hope is that she is able to become stable with the ETV and this placement will work for her. If not a VP shunt will be placced in the right posterior of her brain and routed around to drain the fluid to safely prevent skin break down and infection. However it was explained to me that because Makenna has had so many shunt revisions and externalization the sirk for infection is increased by 70% with each new placement and or revision of a shunt/device.
So now we just prepare to keeo Makenna in good spirits while she stabilizes her pressure in hopes the ETV drain will be the best option for her.
I continue to pray and be thankful for each day I am allowed to see her smile and hug and kiss that cute face. If you haven't hugged a Makenna today, you truly are missing out!
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