THE LONG ROAD BACK

My wife is recuperating from shunt surgery in a lovely rehab center a short distance across the causeway from our island where she has a private room, immediate care and all kinds of therapies to rebuild her strength in body and mind.

My three daughters have been rotating visits to be with Mom and to support Dad. All three are alpha females, real "take-charge-and-organize" types  who have been wonderful. My son and his family arrive Saturday for two weeks in our condo on the island , so then the family support will be complete.

Shunt surgery, in case you are not familiar with it, is to cure the ill effects of water on the brain (hydrocephalis) which has  a debilitating effect on your balance, can cause incontinence and impair reasoning. (My wife likes to quote an old medical aphorism: the three Ws---wooziness, wetness and wackiness.) A tube with a valve, which can be regulated by magnet once implanted in the skull, is inserted in the skull, carried down under her skull to an incision in the neck and then passes down to the abdomen where there is a third insert. This shunt drains excessive water away from surrounding the brain to where it can be passed from the body. The operation has a high success rate; in fact, we know several people who have done it successfully.

My wife is responding well. She has not complained about her three incisions but only about her knees and ankles. The ankles are probably arthritis, and she is now able to start taking her regular medication for that. The knees must have been the result of twisting in bed post-op or at some point. An orthopedic p.a. in the hospital drained her swollen knees and gave her steroid injections, so they are much improved.

She is already feeling steadier, although this improvement will be a gradual process. The major emphasis in rehab is to rebuild her strength in body and mind (I think her mind is pretty damned good at this point). The horror of loss of balance has weakened her significantly, plus the debilitating effect is a real downer mentally. My English-born wife was a wonderful tennis player and all-around athlete, which adds to her frustrations. Obviously, in her eighties, she is not going to Wimbledon, but we all want to see her be able to resume a relatively active life style, such as, for example, being able to take walks on our beautiful beaches. She has been on a cane and then a walker for some time. Our family and friends would love to see her be able to walk unassisted and, ultimate dream, be able to play doubles occasionally.

She has a challenge ahead of her, but, with the cumulative effect of love, prayer and determination, she will do it. Girls who grew up in London in the war and the blitz are tough. We want her back enjoying the time she has left. That is my primary prayer.