9

 This week marks nine years brain surgery free and nine years after surviving multiple brain injuries during shunt revision surgery in 2014. I needed two surgeries to fix my shunt that year. It doesn't feel like it's been that long.  I feel the shunt all the time now because of the injuries I had to my brain.  No two shunts are the same and everyone ( both children and adults ) have different experiences. 

Every year I have a cupcake or a pastry and put a candle in it to celebrate being surgery free and surviving all of this nonsense. Photo is below. The only year I didn't do this was in 2015 ( the first anniversary), as I was waiting to have surgery to repair my eyesight.  

It's windy outside today and my shunt is behaving itself, for now. 

I've been into music from some movie soundtracks such as:  Iron Eagle (1986) Hercules (1997) This song was playing in the background while I was at the store earlier this week Daft Punk. Made me think of this whole brain birthday celebration I do like every year. Not in reference to having more surgery, obviously.

 I made a film about my brain injuries to help spread awareness about brain injury and hydrocephalus it can viewed here. I'm a starving artist with a chronic illness. One of many out there living with hydrocephalus.