I know about this very well. My cousin had one in when he was very small. His head swelled up like a balloon. He had a shunt in for a long time.
It's amazing that I'm hearing from two posters in minutes that know someone who needed a shunt.
I never even heard of a shunt before yesterday.
Now I have some good ammunition when the anti-lifers say Terri can't improve because of the excess fluid in her brain.
Thanks for thos stories!