Ella Saw Dr. Black today us a follow-up to surgery. Dr. Black said she was doing great. The pressure is apparently kept at bay by the shunt, the skull seems to be closing gradually and Ella is feeling fine. The plan is to have a CT scan done in two weeks to monitor the pressure and if all is okay to reduce the pressure to something closer to normal. The reason it is done gradually is to allow the skull to slowly come together. If the pressure is reduced quickly, the skull sides might overlap. The bandages are now off, One can see the bulge in the back of the head where the shunt is inserted. It will remain as a little bulge but her hair will cover it. One thing that is disconcerting (yes, right, One thing…) There is currently no way to know what the pressure in Ella’s brain is. The only way doctors know is using circumstantial evidence. They take x-rays and CT scans and compare them, looking for changes in geometry. Hopefully in a few years there will be such a device that won’t leave us guessing about the current risks of hydrocephalus. Ella is making daily progress. She is sitting up by herself (she still needs to be put in that position) and can stay prone for a while. She plays with vigor and concentration. She is amused and laughs a lot. Her appetite returned and she is much less fussy about the food. She is also starting to recognize crackers as food and not only things to be flung to the floor.