Nancy
My Son has hydrocephalus and was diagnosed at 3 weeks old. He had a shunt put in right away and it worked very well for a while. He is now on his 4th revision and thankfully, this one is working. The shunt itself is no big deal (you barely notice that it is there), just be sure to learn the signs of shunt failure (mostly vomitting, disorientation, crankyness, etc.) Every person is different and it is a little harder with a child, but feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. They can tell if the shunt is working with a CT scan so if you are ever in doubt get it checked. My son is almost 6 years old now and thanks to his shunt he has a good outlook for a long and happy life. Good luck