People living with PTC are limited to cure choices. Most people will treat the disease with the prescribed amount diuretic they are given. For others weight loss and exercise may be suggested. In extreme cases, shunting is necessary.
My doctor told me I need to lose some excess baggage and take my Diamox and Celexa regularly as well as be examined by a surgeon for the possibility of a shunt.
A shunt is a long thin tube that allows excessive cerebrospinal fluid to drain out into another part of the body and ultimately be flushed out completely. A shunt can be placed in through the top of your head, which is called a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, or VP. The other called lumboperitoneal shunt, or LP, is considered less invasive and is placed in the lower spine area where it sits under your skin and runs to your stomach and empties. It is almost like a river dumping into the ocean.
Unfortunately, planting a shunt is a risky procedure. The shunts can become clogged and then require another surgery to adjust the valves. There is also a fear of infection because the shunt has invaded a precious part of the body, the brain.
I have visited over four surgeons and still wait for a doctor who will perform the surgery. It seems the consensus is to lose weight and stay on the pills for a lifetime. This is not working for me.
