Monday 3:50 p.m. ET

Eli's doing very well. Julia and I just got home from a visit to the hospital and Julia just went down for her nap. Eli was VERY glad to see her big sister. Julia's method of cheering Eli up consisted of standing in front of her, laughing uncontrollably, and squeezing in wheezes of "You're so happy, Eli!" in between guffaws. Eli loved it, reciprocating Julia's smiles and laughs but with something less of her big sister's thunder. Eli is as sweet and beautiful as ever. In all likelihood, she will come home tomorrow. At about noon, she moved from PICU to Pediatrics. Eileen Ogle, one of Yale-New Haven's neurosurgery PA's, took Lia and me one at a time to look at Eli's MRI and Ct. scan images. She also explained a lot about hydrocephalus generally and shunts specifically and answered many of our questions. In all likelihood, Eli will keep the shunt for the rest of her life. At some point between the ages of 7 and 10, she may need to get a larger shunt. Eileen told me that Eli may be a good candidate for the ETV operation at some point down the road, but that ETV doesn't have a high success rate for infants because they don't generate enough pressure to pump CSF through the puncture. The biggest risk with a shunt is infection, but the risk decreases as time passes (the first six months after the insertion of the shunt are the period of greatest risk). Some hydrocephalus patients with shunts suffer from varying degrees of mental retardation, but this risk is greatest for patients whose hydrocephalus stems from an injury or an infection, and Eli's otherwise normal development to this point can only portend good things. In the best case scenarios, Eli will lead a perfectly normal life with her shunt in place or a successful ETV operation later in life will render the shunt unnecessary. Because her hydrocephalus is congenital, full healing on her own is unlikely. We're fairly optimistic about Eli's prospects for normal development. Eileen said that we should plan on settling in an area that is within reasonably driving distance of a good hospital with excellent neurologists. "What are you worried about?" she asked me. "You'll be a Yale lawyer--you could live in a high rise right next to NYU." This probably means that I'll end up practicing law in a big market area where Eli can get the best treatment possible and where we'll make enough money to spare no expenses with her treatment or her education. Time will tell.
Anyhow, we're all doing well and fairly upbeat. It has been a great relief to see Eli smile again and start eating well again. It will be an even greater relief to have her (and Lia!!!) home again.