This is my FIRST submission....I have an ABI following major complications from surgery to relieve Trigeminal Neuralgia in 2003. This was a "Minor" brain surgery, in the sense that the surgery was inside my skull, but was not actually inside my brain. The surgery placed little pillows in between a blood vessel and my R trigeminal nerve. Anyway, Something in my surgery was not sterile. I developed meningitis, hydrocephalus, a pseudomeningoel, etc, etc, etc. We were told, everything would pass, we were just not being patient. On day 28, I was home only 6 hours when I awoke with my pillow was soaking wet. My opperative site had burst from the increasing pressure of my CSF. My leak continued for more than 36 hours, which resulted in a "brain sag" (which means my brain could no longer float causing my brain lay on my skull and caused my brain stem and cerebellum to be compressed). Following the leak, I had a VP shunt placed. I left the hospital 37 days after my intial addmission. I needed a great deal of assistance to walk even with the use of a walker, I had great difficulty talking and major word finding difficulties, I had several R sided nerve palsys. My R eye was turned inward. I had terrible balance and vestibular disturbances, etc etc etc. I spent 3.5 years in intensive brain injury rehab and have made an amazing amount of progress. I walk with forearm crutches or a walker, because the compression of my cerebellum caused ataxia, and I still have some balance problems. This is my only obvious sign that I have a problem. Otherwise, I have short term memory issues and many of the other issues that I have seen listed in the explainations of post concussion syndrome, which at this point, I believe will be mostly permenant for me.
BUT AS PER YOUR POST>>>>>
My husband and I had to get "permission" from 8 DIFFERENT DR's first, but they all cleared me to try to get pregnant in 8/06. They told me I would be regarded as HIGH RISK due to my medical history and becuase of my VP SHUNT. They told me it would likely take us more than a year to get preganant due to all of the drugs I had been on....to the SHOCK of all of us we found out we were pregnant in 12/06, only 3 months later!!! I was watched very closely, and had no problems with my pregnancy except all the usual....morning sickness etc. After 3 months, the Dr's made me switch from my forearm crutches to a wheeled walker with breaks and a seat for safety....which I now recommend to all pregnant woman near the end of their pregnancy, because you always have a seat and it helped with the awkward feeling of unbalance near the end...
I had a lot of discussion with my OB's near the end of my pregnancy. Because of my VP Shunt, unless the baby was the exactly in the correct position, I would have to have a c-section. Becuase it would be impossible to determine where the shunt tubing had eventually ended up in regard to my uterus and the baby, they would not be able to manually move the baby's position in any way for fear of yanking my shunt tubing. Fortunately, the my son, was cooperative and well behaved and was delivered naturally. Due to my ataxia, (a neuro-muscular problem which does not coordinate my muscles together correctly), I did have a little difficulty with pushing, but my OB team knew this could be an issue before it was delivery time and was prepared and PATIENT. It took a little longer than we all hoped and I was even more exausted than normal, but we delieverd my beautiful Aidan James, Sept 15, 2007 at 7 lbs 11 oz with no intervention. I was also in the hospital an extra day, not due to any problems, but becuase OT and PT had to eval me as well as the neuro teams wanted to check every part of me and make sure my shunt was still in a good position....ETc Etc. I just couldn't wait to get home to get some rest, they drove us all crazy!!! My beautiful boy is now a happy, healthy, and energetic 19 month old sweet heart!!!
Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to give you as much info as possible, please feel free to contact me regarding any other info you might be interested in !!!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!