Last week, we began to notice some mild swelling in Silas's anterior fontanel, so we went to see our pediatrician in New Haven, who arranged for us to have an ultrasound at the hospital here. That study concluded that there had been some welling in Silas's lateral ventricles, so our pediatrician forwarded the results to our neurosurgeon in Boston, who called us to arrange an appointment for this week to examine him. We will head up to Boston in the wee hours of this morning to avoid traffic and will have our first appointments at 9am.
We are hopeful that today's tests will show stabilization or a reversal of the swelling. Silas has been doing amazingly well these past few weeks. He shows no changes in his behavior or temperament -- he is still the same happy, mellow little guy. Silas's neurosurgery last month initially appeared to have resolved his hydrocephalus. That procedure, an ETV, is usually successful in treating hydrocephalus and allowing a child to live a life without a shunt. But in certain cases, a second surgery can be required, and sometimes a shunt will need to be placed.
Please remember Silas today as he goes through another head ultrasound and an MRI and is evaluated for a potential third brain surgery. As hard as it is for us to watch him go through these examinations, we are confident that he is in the best hands possible.
