Wow! How quickly the tide shifts-both the ebb and the flow

Well, to say that today has been dramatic, doesn't even begin to describe it. All day yesterday, Bethany leaked CSF so much that her bandages needed to be changed every 45 minutes or sooner. Sometimes, every 10 minutes. Thus, we have been resigned to having the shunt implanted in her brain tomorrow morning. We received a new nurse last night, a male named Jarin, 6 months out of nursing school, UTMC, and a great nurse. He kept changing her bandages, when I really didn't mind.

When Dr. Healy arrived early this morning, he asked when the last bandages had been changed, and Jarin said 1:00 am. It was about 6:00 am, and they were completely dry. Praise God! Dr. Healy said that Bethany could go home either today or tomorrow, and that it didn't look as if the shunt would be necessary. YES. Thank you so much, everyone, for your prayers. Bethany decided that, given the fact that she would have to stand to leave, be upright in the van, walk into the house, and such, that she would stay another day, just to ensure her wound as healed. I totally supported that idea.

So, we returned to slumber, while quietly rejoicing. I awoke around 10:00 am, and checked her bandages, and she was still dry. Thank God! Bethany had slept through breakfast, and still wasn't hungry. I went to the lobby to call my mom, Bonnie and Chris with the good news, when I was interrupted with a call from Bethany. She was hysterical. I knew that she was leaking---I could just tell by her hysteria. So I ran to her room.

Thank God, I was wrong. Bethany was dry, but she was in extreme pain. Her hips, legs, neck, head, etc, everything but her toes, were in excruciating pain. I tried to comfort her, but to no avail. Literally, three hours later, she is still moaning and groaning, but settling down a bit. She as vomited numerous times, hasn't eaten a thing all day, and is still in constant pain, despite morphine and percocet and flexiril. It's so sad to watch her. She has warm compresses, and everything else, but is still in constant pain. I am so glad that we had decided to stay another day.

Here's a picture of 4 nurses attempting to insert an IV in Bethany's arm, so that she may have some additional morphine and zofran (anti-nausea med).

Please pray for complete comfort and healing for Bethany; that he wound continues to remain dry and that there isn't any need for any shunt to be implanted. Thank you.

Blessings, Shari and Bethany