Zachariahsmith.com

This website is dedicated and designed for anyone who has to deal with hydrocephalus, in any capacity. If you're a patient, caretaker, spouse, sibling, child of a patient, or a child who is a patient, this site is for you.

My goal is to make it educational, informative, and interactive. I will post relevant articles and findings, explain the basics of hydrocephalus and its current treatments. As well as talk about what the future holds for those of us living with this incurable brain disease.

Hydrocephalus is treatable, it's just not curable.... yet.

I do believe some forms of hydro will become curable, or at least treated with theraputics, rather than an invasive brain surgery. As I continue to learn more about these advances, I will pass them along to you.

I was born with congenital hydrocephalus in 1978 in Boston MA. I was supsequently shunted at 4 weeks of age. My first shunt revision came in 1987 after a fall that broke my shunt valve. I could go through and list my revisions since, but to make it simple, I've had 22 VP shunt revisions and four LP shunts, I currently have both a VPL shunt and an LP shunt.

There isn't much in the way of hydrocephalus and many different treatments or tests that I haven't been through. Having hydrocephalus is not a death sentence, although it can feel like prison time! People with hydrocephalus can live relatively normal, healthy lives just like anyone else. My best advice is learn as much as you can, and be vigilant about how your body feels.

There will be times that are difficult, sometimes harder than you think you can handle, but you will get through.

The point of this site is to give you the information to try and get through!