Addison had an MRI and an MRV this morning and the fluid in her brain is much more and worse than it was four weeks ago. So much so that it is leaking into the gray matter of her brain. We were told she will need surgery and will require a brain shunt for the remainder of her life. Gut wrenching to say the least. This was never discussed as a possibility  and we were truly feeling like we were out of the woods. Effectively the shunt will stabilize the pressure in her brain. My understanding is there is a valve where they can change the settings as to what is stabilizing for her. It will be self draining and will drain into her belly. Her body will absorb the cerebral fluid and she will urinate it out. We were told this absolutely could positively impact her recovery- pressure like this can cause agitation, headaches, discomfort etc but we were also told sometimes it doesn’t impact recovery. As with everything else with brain injuries we are learning, results vary. We are hoping the surgery will be Friday. It is a standard procedure for the neurosurgery team. Comforting, I suppose. If she were outpatient, she would be sent home the following day, so there won’t be a long recovery. We are hoping this will not impact inpatient rehab but we’re told there have been times where the patient is sent under care under neurosurgery and then has to get back on the waitlist for inpatient. Addison will never be allowed to join the military or become a pilot. I wasn’t concerned about either of those possibilities. And people with brain shunts lead very normal lives and can even go scuba diving. 

In spite of the shift, Addison has been making so many new noises and hums since yesterday. One of her therapists said she tried to say no and her speech therapist heard her say three different consonant sounds. She continues to giggle constantly at every single thing Andrew does. She got her collar off yesterday, and as expected she seems to be even more herself than she was before. The juxtaposition of what we are experiencing with her and the news we were given is simultaneously challenging and hopeful. Please pray for peace for Kyle and I, comfort for Addison, swift recovery, guided hands during surgery, that this would help her recovery, that I would be able to focus on the fact that she can lead a normal life and not the fact that she’s been given a life sentence with the shunt, that inpatient rehab is not impacted by the surgery, that there are no complications with the surgery. Continue to pray for miraculous healing. I saw four teenage girls eating pizza today, and I pray that she will get to do that and chat with her girlfriends as a teen and many years beyond. 

Kyle and I also got to attend a ceremony for the officer who responded on the scene of the accident tonight. We found out this afternoon it was occurring at Bee Cave City Hall. The officer was awarded with a life saving award, and I got to give him his award. He responded to the scene in just over a minute and did CPR for three minutes until EMS arrived. He has visited Addison in the hospital more than once and continues to check in with Kyle. 

Today was truly a rollercoaster.