Answers for a few questions

*Can't Joshua have a shunt to drain the fluid?

Joshua's cele is only skin/membrane. There is not any cartilage or bone in his encephalocele. As far as I know a shunt would need to anchor to something. Also, at this point Joshua's situation is so precarious, I think inserting a needle or doing a surgery for a shunt would kill him. I do put a shunt into "heroic" territory. A shunt might give us more time, but it's not a fix - its a delay. If all the fluid was drained from his cele then we'd have tons of empty membranes flabbing around. Also, that fluid is serving (to some extent the CSF is serving as "bowling bumper pads"). Besides that it's never been an option with all our doctors and nurses - no one's ever mentioned it. And we've talked extensively...

*What did I use to up my production?

Fenugreek. It's an herb, I bought it form "Nature's Way" - which I remember seeing in lots of health shops/GNC type stores in the USA. DO NOT get the Fenugreek with Thyme as Thyme is not recommended for nursing mothers. Pair this with breastfeeding and then pumping (manual or electric) after nursing so as to ensure the body is completely empty. The body will respond to making as much as is needed. Sarah - tell your friend to hang in there! Doctors paint really horrendous pictures when babies don't gain weight. But a slow weight gain is not going to give them brain damage or something serious like that! (Slow weight gain, not weight loss... that's a problem). Take Fenugreek 3 capsules (600mg each I think) 3x a day (9 a day).

Medical Clarification

To Nurse Sarah and any other medical professionals lurking: No, it's not the resistant staph infection, just Staphylococcus aureus.

To everybody else: S. aureus is a normal bacterial in your nose and on your skin. An overgrowth results in a staph infection. The resistant staph infection is really bad. So in the scheme of things... S aureus is a good thing.