7

Today is the first day in seven days where I don't have:

Pain from the shunt valve

Pain on the side of my head 

Pain in the back of my head from the chiari malformation

Nausea from the distal catheter in my stomach

Pain behind both eyes and when blinking

Occasional eye misalignment 

TMJ issues with a side of knocking inside my head from my inner right ear to my left ear. 

The pain medication (Curamin, CBD or Advil) I use in my attempts to cope with chronic pain from my injuries in 2014 and from my programmable shunt valve.  Sometimes these things works, other times like the last week, did not do anything to alleviate my pain. 

It made me sad and angry. 

There is no way of knowing what the shunt is doing. I'm just one of many people who have a shunt in my brain and we just don't know when they will become obstructed again or become infected or fall apart. I suspect this week it was responding to the weather and barometric pressure such as the upcoming rain and there's some sort of storm approaching from the West coast. There was also a partial lunar eclipse this week.

Millions of children and adults with all types of medical devices including programmable shunts experience similar or the same symptoms when these these things occur in the atmosphere. 

Last night, the pain was bothering even after taking pain reliever and I was able to play some video games like Super Mario Brothers 2.  

The first thing that brought a smile to my face this week despite chronic pain issues was the early sight of brown Santa Claus.  It's wonderful to see different representations of Santa decorations. 

The second was music from Ghostbusters 2.

I have had one good day this week to enjoy before my shunt decides to become unruly again whenever that may be. 

nor'easter 2021

 I had shunt issues during the Nor-easter last month. I all day I had dizziness, shunt and scalp pain. Medications didn't work again....

Like many people of all ages who have a cerebral shunt we are constantly worried about when the shunt will stop working again or become infected. 

I recently was watching two different documentaries, one was about wrestling and the other football and how the players have to deal and manage chronic pain from injuries they sustain from playing football or wrestling. 

Today, my shunt is behaving itself despite the weather being cold (32 degrees) outside.