Surgery after MRSA Menegitis

[cindywallace29]

My mom is 72 she had s hunt placed in her head for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. She got Mrsa and almost died ad the shunt was taken out because it was infected. My mom needs this shunt for her quality of live. The hospital this all took place in is the same hospital that wants to do it again. Surgeon is great and staff they will run vancomycin before during and after her shunt surgery this time. I am just not sure I should have it done again at this hospital. Will this happen again? What are the chances? Dr says a 5-10 percent chance same as last time of infection. they have no idea what actually caused the mrsa last time the shunt the OR the hospital room she was in no idea i was never told if they did know. If anyone has had a similar story please let me know thank you

[SqueakMouse]

Hello there CindyWallace, my name is SqueakMouse💗🐭💗 (well, now that I've typed that, I realize I should be more specific there, because SqueakMouse is my nickname/user name, and not my given name😋; much as I love wee mousies, I don't think I would have loved it very much if my Mom had placed it on my birth certificate😬😉❣️)

I'm so sorry that I only just discovered your post (from about a week ago, I think it says?); my goodness, what an ordeal you and your Mom have been through...my heart breaks for you both😢 I myself haven't had the surgical procedure that was recently performed on your Mom, and that her medical team believes she needs to undergo a second time in order to address her symptoms--but I am quite familiar with the details, have an immunodeficiency and several auto-immune/neurological disorders, and as a result of these influences, I've been diagnosed with more infections--including MRSA--than I can count😳; also like your Mom, a significant percentage of my medical issues were things that affected the central nervous system like meningitis and encephalitis, and a CSF leak caused symptoms and concerns very similar to her Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, so a shunt procedure was one of several treatment possibilities that my doctors considered.

But thanks to the immunodeficiency, their recommendations and my viable options were constrained by the ever-present threat of infection, for they could never guarantee that normally effective protective measures--like the IV vancomycin you described--would be as reliable for an immunocompromised patient as they were for immunologically stable ones😬

It sounds like your Mom is facing similar difficulties; though you didn't mention a pre-existing immunodeficiency, her immune system would most certainly be stressed by her hydrocephalus and the chronic pain it causes, as well as by the surgical procedure itself...the fact that she contracted a serious opportunistic infection like MRSA is highly suggestive of a stressed immune system, whether it was a temporary state or a chronic one, and the twin insults of infection and surgery would invariably contribute additional stress to that she was already dealing with. 😧

So even though I don't have the same story as your Mom, I do have a similar one☺️(?), and I would be honored and delighted to share the details (and some thoughts with regards to the questions and concerns you raised, based upon everything I've learned and experienced while dealing with similar issues), if you think that would be helpful in any way😍 I just wanted to check in with you first, to see if there have been any new developments in the past week, so I can give you the most relevant information and advice possible😋😉

Meanwhile, know that you and your Mom are in my prayers, and I'm sending all the good vibes I can muster😍😋😉 And best wishes to you both for a quick and complete recovery, and a healthy happy holiday season💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚