Intercranial Pressure Guages

[wenners]

In 1988 I was diagnosed with Benign Intercranial Hypertension & had a pressure guage inserted into my head.  I had a lumbar puncture & a shunt inserted & was discharged from hospital.  However, there were a number of complications & I contracted pneumonia & later that year the shunt became infected with meningitis & was then removed.  However, the pressure monitor has been in my head ever since.  The hospital that treated me lost my notes.
Some 5 years later I was also diagnosed with Portal Hypertension which is well under control & I have an endoscopy annually to band any varices in the oesophagus.  
However for the past 5 years I have been experiencing visual disturbances & have been referred to a number of neurologists.  They initially thought it may be TIA's but have since ruled this out.  For the past year now I have been experiencing episodes whereby I am suddenly unable to interact with my surroundings & although still able to hear I am unable to communicate & sometimes cannot move.  The left side of my face drops as does the left side of my mouth & I find it difficult to speak & my speech is often slurred.  My eyes also roll right round.  I have had ECG's done & EEG's But nothing has been diagnosed.  These attacks are almost weekly now.  A CT scan has been done which has not shown anything & I have been unable to have an MRI because nobody knows what metal was put into my head in 1988 as my notes were lost.
I have had this pressure monitoring device in my head now for 21 years & my question to you is should something of that nature have been left in there for this length of time or as with so many other things, does it have a shelf life?  I am obviously concerned that as nothing else has shown up this could in some way be causing the episodes I am experiencing.    
  


This discussion is related to Re: benign intercranial hypertension.