The Case of the Bi-polar Shunt

This is so dumb it's almost comical... My shunt was adjusted 19 days ago. It seemed to be a pretty good setting until last Tuesday when my shunt started draining WAY too much spinal fluid for whatever reason. And it hasn't stopped.

I prefer over draining CSF to not draining enough because if I'm over draining, I can lay down flat for a few hours allowing my CSF to build back up again and the pain goes away completely! ... until I stand up again. Sometimes I can be up for more than an hour, but it'll hurt. The other extreme of having too much fluid is much more difficult to manage and almost always requires brain surgery. Laying down makes it worse (because it's not draining enough and keep building up pressure).

So back to this over draining shunt... The pressure setting can be adjusted up or down because it's a magnetically programmable shunt. They use a magnet tool over the top of the shunt valve to change the pressure setting making it more difficult (for over draining) or easier (for under draining) for the CSF to find a healthy balance.

The PA tried to adjust my shunt for over an hour yesterday (it should only take minute or two plus an X-ray to confirm the setting). And therein lies the problem: my shunt valve is stuck. They couldn't get it to move. They just got a new adjustment machine and we'll try it again today, but really?!!

And here are the options moving forward...
(1) the new tool adjusts my shunt up several settings without any problems and then we just watch and wait to see if it's a good setting.
(2) the tool doesn't work and we decide to try and stick it out until my next appt Dec 19 and make plans from there (to operate or not to operate... that is the question).
(3) replace this shunt now if we deem it broken.

I'm not in a TON of pain and would rather deal with this for a few months than jump into yet another surgery. But if this valve can't stop over draining so badly, then we'll have to do something about it.

And as always, thank you for your prayers!