My nephew

[Harrison]

He's going to the hospital today to get a series of CT scans to see if the size of his head is normal or not. They said it's grown too much since his last check up.

I've been sick to my stomach with the thought that he isn't ok. I don't know what I would do without my nephew.

The picture is of my nephew and my little sister.

[brinstar]

hot


plus, there's a kid, so you know she puts out

[Gypsiyee]

hydrocephalus possible?

one of my best friends has a daughter who has that - it was noticeable before birth and they gave Johanna the option to abort her but she refused. Sarah (her daughter) has a shunt in her head, has a learning disability and physically grows a little slower than most kids - she's 14 and if you met her you'd probably think she was maybe 11 based on size and maturity, which aside from the head enlargement is really the only noticeable thing about her hydrocephalus. she's a really happy kid and overall really great to be around. I've never met a more energetic kid in my life.

had a scare about a year ago when she outgrew her shunt and had to get a new one put in - head surgery is always frightening - but they haven't had much trouble maintaining it past that.

[Harrison]

I wasn't even this scared when I thought I was dying.

[Griever]

Head surgery is no joke. My mother passed away from cranial surgery 5 years ago. They were trying to relieve pressure in her head from a disease called Moya Moya (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/moya ... yamoya.htm).

Despite being a cockjew, Harrison, your nephew isn't one. I wish him the best.

[leah]

hydrocephalus possible?

one of my best friends has a daughter who has that - it was noticeable before birth and they gave Johanna the option to abort her but she refused. Sarah (her daughter) has a shunt in her head, has a learning disability and physically grows a little slower than most kids - she's 14 and if you met her you'd probably think she was maybe 11 based on size and maturity, which aside from the head enlargement is really the only noticeable thing about her hydrocephalus. she's a really happy kid and overall really great to be around. I've never met a more energetic kid in my life.

had a scare about a year ago when she outgrew her shunt and had to get a new one put in - head surgery is always frightening - but they haven't had much trouble maintaining it past that.

aww . . . my friend meredith's husband's best friend has a son with hydrocephalus. he's maybe 4 or 5 and they don't expect him to live past 7 or 8. i think they also gave his wife the option to abort, but she would rather have a few years with him than never have him at all. he's the sweetest little boy, built like an ox (has the enlarged head and was also short and stocky; he was also a little slow and didn't talk well, but oh was he adorable), and at meredith's wedding he just ran around like a tank, charming every single person at the reception. what a sweetie. i'm glad i got to meet him.

[Phlegm]

Is it because the brain inside is getting too big? What exactly is a shunt and where do they implant it?

[Harrison]

Apparently everything is normal and they just wanted to be sure.

[leah]

Is it because the brain inside is getting too big? What exactly is a shunt and where do they implant it?

iirc, hydrocephalus is water on the brain, and a shunt is a little tube-type thing they put in to drain the water and alleviate the pressure on the brain. i'm not sure though, so you might want to look it up.

[Harrison]

CSF buildup that doesn't drain properly and is one of the more common birth defects that goes undiagnosed. Like 1/500 births or some shit...

Results don't come back for a week

But, nothing was readily apparent so far.

[LostCause]

I hope everything is ok josh...lemme know dude.

[Jay]

Caladore

[Gypsiyee]

Is it because the brain inside is getting too big? What exactly is a shunt and where do they implant it?

iirc, hydrocephalus is water on the brain, and a shunt is a little tube-type thing they put in to drain the water and alleviate the pressure on the brain. i'm not sure though, so you might want to look it up.

yep, that's exactly what it is.

[Drem]

so is he all right? it's long past the week mark

[Harrison]

Yeah, he's just got a huge head. Had me worried to death the entire time though.

Nothing abnormal came back.

[Drem]

good

[Gypsiyee]

well that's good to hear

hopefully he'll grow into it

[Kramer]

First of all, i am very glad to hear your nephew is ok, excellent stuff...


also made me think of my family surname: Kennedy

Kennedy comes from the flattering Gaelic word cinneidigh, which in ancient Ireland meant "ugly headed".

some also think it interprets "big headed"

http://www.scotclans.com/scottish_clans ... story.html

I have to hear from my wife all the time about how gigantic my melon is