Charlie Shunt has thrown a chisel in the works...

What the....? A chisel? Isn't it a spanner? Read on and it will all make sense!!

Exactly 1 month ago, on 26th September, I had a Lumbar-Peritoneal Shunt (charlie)inserted to lower the High Cerebral spinal fluid pressures in my head and to save my sight from deteriorating any further - Damn this IIH (Increased Intracranial Hypertension)
After 7 weeks in hospital, 9 lumbar punctures, shunt surgery and loads of physiotherapy i finally left the hospital feeling pretty damn good!

It worked!!! My headaches eased. My vision returned fully, although the right eye is still having trouble focusing. It's been a 4+ year journey to reach this point, where i can finally see an end in sight; where i can make plans and move forward; where daily chronic pain no longer rules my life; where i can anticipate returning to work!

There is, however,one more bridge to cross. Last week i began to experience some abdominal discomfit and terrible leg and back pain. A visit to the Dr, CT scans and ultrasounds revealed the shunt had migrated further into my spinal canal and was irritating nerves, and the other end had jumped ship too and popped out of the peritoneal sac and was draining the CSF subcutaneously. Hence why i looked 9 months pregnant with triplets!!

So tomorrow i embark on yet another hospital visit and undergo surgery to resite the shunt. Hopefully this time it is secured a little better.
The biggest bummer about all this is that I am supposed to be going to see Cold Chisel on Wednesday in Mackay!! DAMN IT!!!

Kate's Birthday Donation to Oceana

“Send all gifts to Oceana! Save the oceans ;)”

Kate Walsh, Oct. 4, 2011.


That’s what she said! So we’re organising a KWA fundraise for Oceana to celebrate Kate’s birthday.

Remember: the ocean is made up of tiny drops, so every single contribution counts. Who knows, by working together Kate’s Walshies may save a turtle, and as Kate would be the first to agree: life truly is the greatest gift of all!


If you would like to contribute, please visit http://katewalshdonation.chipin.com/kate-walshs-birthday-donation-to-oceana
by no later than Tuesday, 8PM PST, and KWA will donate the full amount raised to Kate’s Oceana CR project on her birthday. Thank you!