Shunt Surgery, Day 36

This morning started out with Archie only being able to have a liquid diet for breakfast.  Then, after 8 am he was not allowed any food before the surgery.  He was cranky about this.  This morning he went on a walk with the physical therapist and another walk after lunchtime.  We spent most of the day waiting for surgery.  It was supposed to be late afternoon, following two other surgeries by the doctor, but he got bumped up because they were waiting on lab results from the other patient.  Instead of a five o'clock surgery, he was taken back around three.  The surgery lasted a little over two hours.  He was awake when we saw him and the doctor said everything went as expected.  The permanent shunt was placed behind his right ear, internally, down to his stomach.  The shunt will drain extra fluid from his brain into his body to be absorbed.  He has an incision behind his ear and an incision where it begins, about two inches long, on the right side of his abdomen.  He complained of soreness and pain in his abdomen and his neck where they put the tubing.  He also had a headache.  We are hoping that a good night's rest an good pain meds will help ease the pain.  When I left at nine o'clock, he was snoring away because he had just received his medicine.  Thank you for the prayers.