Help the Shwytky's

At High River's Dance Tech, we are a family, and one of our own needs our help...

Barb Shwytky has been sick since July 6, and in the Foothills Hospital since July 9.  She has double pneumonia, but they have also found that Barb has been leaking brain fluid through her nose.  She has been diagnosed with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), also know as Pseudotumor Cerebri.  For now they are treating her for the pneumonia, and are trying to treat her nose dripping fluid with medications. 

Barb has been having headaches & ear problems for some time now, and because she has had this condition undiagnosed for a long time, it has thinned the bone & membrane around her brain.  They are hoping by reducing the fluids with medications, the membrane will heal itself.  She has been on bed rest, and the dripping has reduced, but still getting the occasional drip.  The doctors are going to try to get her up and moving a bit today to see if it continues.  If it doesn't work, the only other options are to drain fluid from her lumbar, in hopes the dripping will stop.  Last option is major brain surgery!

She will always have this condition, but they can control the pressure with medications in hopes it will not happen again, and to alleviate the headaches & ear problems she has been having.

The Dance Tech Dance Council is trying to raise some money to help Barb, Mike, & their three amazing girls - Sarena, Elana, & Mya, with everyday bills, etc, while Barb can't work.  Any contribution can help, and if you can't contribute funds, please share. 

Another way we are looking to help is if anyone can provide some meals for Mike & the girls, so they have less to worry about at home.

This wonderful family has been through so much, with their home being destroyed in the 2013 floods in High River, and now this - we want to help part of our DT family in anyway we can!

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((What is idiopathic intracranial hypertension?
Intracranial hypertension is a condition due to high pressure within the spaces that surround the brain and spinal cord. These spaces are filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which cushions the brain from mechanical injury, provides nourishment, and carries away waste.

The most common symptoms of intracranial hypertension are headaches and visual loss, including blind spots, poor peripheral (side) vision, double vision, and short temporary episodes of blindness. Many patients experience permanent vision loss. Other common symptoms include pulsatile tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and neck and shoulder pain.

Intracranial hypertension can be either acute or chronic. In chronic intracranial hypertension, the increased CSF pressure can cause swelling and damage to the optic nerve—a condition called papilledema.

Chronic intracranial hypertension can be caused by many conditions including certain drugs such as tetracycline, a blood clot in the brain, excessive intake of vitamin A, or brain tumor. It can also occur without a detectable cause. This is idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).

Because the symptoms of IIH can resemble those of a brain tumor, it is sometimes known by the older name pseudotumor cerebri, which means “false brain tumor.”))