[kmarla]

This is a congenital condition she was apparently born with and has gradually worsened until the point where she started having seizures. She was very difficult to housetrain, and from time to time walked with a funny little gait, almost like prancing, but we had no idea these were signs of hydrocephalus. Her vision is fine and her head doesn't appear enlarged, so no obvious external signs. Since we learned she had this disorder we have been able to look back and see some of the signs, but they weren't obvious at the time. She started suddenly having seizures up to 4 times a day, had difficulty with balance, and was very lethargic and not eating well. She has had so many tests trying to find out what was wrong. The surgery has it's own risks as they must insert a shunt (drainage tube) from her brain to her abdomen to drain the fluids and relieve the pressure. If we don't have the surgery we can give her meds for a short while but eventually she will suffer a hemorrhage from the pressure. Because her condition is severe now, it will be fatal without surgery. We will ask the neurologist more questions this week, but at our appointment I was too upset by the news to think of questions about what happens after surgery etc. thank you all for your responses and suggestions.