Living with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

This adventure serves as a message to all- get a second or third opinion if necessary. My mother began to have problem in 2003, first with wetting at night and then walking problems to finally not being able to cook, etc. Her neurologist at that time diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s (the easy way out). When we questioned his diagnosis he became very indignant, however I asked her primary for a referral to another doctor. The second doctor could not say yes or no to hydrocephlus although we, her children, we almost certain given the symptoms.

Our journey led us to Temple University in Philadelphia to the chair of neurology and he properly diagnosed her with communicating hydroceplus. Mom had surgery for shunt insertion in the fall of 2005, by then we had lost almost 2 years with improper diagnosis. Her symptoms began to reverse - no more wetting, no more bowel accidents (they both had been quite frequent), her walk improved and her short term function and reasoning had improved. She will never be 100%, although we had hoped for that. There was too much time lost and damaged done. If you do not agree with your physician, seek another. We strongly believe that our mother would be dead now if we would not have trusted our instincts to move onto to not one, but two doctors.