Just two weeks ago

Raegan was in the same place she is in tonight, just a few doors down. This darn shunt of her isn't working how it should. I got up yesterday morning at 5am after not sleeping well the night before to get up and get ready for Raegans 8:30 MRI down at OHSU. Raegan and I were out the door by 7a, and after a little over an hours drive made it to the hospital about 8:20a. We parked the car and took the elevator up to the 3rd floor, checked in and waited over an hour for her MRI. The MRI took about 10 minutes. After the MRI we took the Tram up to the main hospital to see Audiology. I was trying to kill 3 birds in one stone.

Audiology appointment didn't go as I had hoped. Raegan still can't pass a hearing test, and her right tube was blocked. I was hoping after this last set of tubes she had put in beginning of October would have helped. She will go back in 6 months and they will check her hearing again. In the mean time I had the surgeon clean out her right ear while she was in surgery. He still isn't sure if the tube is in or not so the ENT will be by tomorrow to check it out and make sure Raegan doesn't have an ear infection.

After the audiology appointment, we rushed across the hospital and back down the tram to see the neurosurgeon. We walked in and they asked how things had been, and I told them we went down for an MRI. Lori went out to look at the images and talking with the surgeon. When they both came back into the room their faces told it all. The MRI had shown Raegans shunt wasn't working, and that they were admitting her up to the hospital again. :(

Man... to think back that having Raegans tonsils, adenoids taken out and tubes put back in her ears started this downward spiral of surgery's. I know that in the long run things will be ok, but all these surgery's are starting to take a toll. Raegan has already spent 9 days here, and it's only the 25th day of the year. Maybe only a day or two more and we should be home. Big picture is that she has spent 24 days in the last 3 months up here on the hill. Good thing I like the staff up here at OHSU, and they like us. It makes being up here bearable.

So today's surgery seemed to go well. The doctor repositioned Raegans shunt in her ventricle and they said it looked like the spinal fluid is now flowing. The shunt had been flowing at all the last week. After asking some questions after surgery the doctors said some kids rarely have to have their shunts revised, and other kids have their shunts revised all the time. Raegan has fell into the all the time category. I hope this is the last surgery she has to have for a while, but that's what I said 2 weeks ago. I'm going to look on the bright side, and continue to stay positive.

Here's to maxing out the out of pocket on our insurance in the first 25 days of the year!