I am delighted to report that Samantha is having a very good month. A shunt revision surgery in September was likely the biggest reason for the turn around, but we have also had two solid weeks of improved eating habits. The girl always has been a picky eater choosing cereal for dinner and PB & J sandwiches since she was old enough to talk. But just before her accident was eating very healthy, very healthy. But after suffering through 2 1/2 years of a g-tube in her stomach for nutrition, she tasted a bowl of cereal, peanut butter and jelly, and sugar cookies and she was hooked. And I sometimes have a hard time depriving her of such pleasure, when she works so hard all the time. But I can truly see a difference in her energy and endurance levels when I let her slack to often.
So between the surgery that added an anti-siphon device to her shunt system and two solid weeks of great eating habits, with a few sugar cookies thrown in, she is really putting in some busy days.
Thankfully, she has some young assistants that can keep up with her. After going to the mall this afternoon, shopping for a birthday gift, hitting Target, and then grocery shopping, they finally came home and she still wants to play a game.
Interestingly enough though, 10 minutes on the computer doing any kind of brain work tires her out more quickly than all that shopping she did in the last 4 hours. Cognitive fatigue - another obstacle I have to find a way around in order for her to continue to learn and grow.
Thank you to Dr. Lazareff and his team at UCLA for a successful surgery to fix the shunt system. Because clearly her intracranial pressure is more stable, reducing the headaches and overwhelming lethargic feeling so I can challenge her with some brain teasers.
Thank you all for your continued interest in how she is doing, and the unending love and friendship you give us.
-Diana Palumbo
So between the surgery that added an anti-siphon device to her shunt system and two solid weeks of great eating habits, with a few sugar cookies thrown in, she is really putting in some busy days.
Thankfully, she has some young assistants that can keep up with her. After going to the mall this afternoon, shopping for a birthday gift, hitting Target, and then grocery shopping, they finally came home and she still wants to play a game.
Interestingly enough though, 10 minutes on the computer doing any kind of brain work tires her out more quickly than all that shopping she did in the last 4 hours. Cognitive fatigue - another obstacle I have to find a way around in order for her to continue to learn and grow.
Thank you to Dr. Lazareff and his team at UCLA for a successful surgery to fix the shunt system. Because clearly her intracranial pressure is more stable, reducing the headaches and overwhelming lethargic feeling so I can challenge her with some brain teasers.
Thank you all for your continued interest in how she is doing, and the unending love and friendship you give us.
-Diana Palumbo
