Confused

As I have thought about everything the doctors have said over the past several days, I am just more and more confused. My understanding is that they want to do a shunt revision because it is common for a shunt that is not working exactly right to cause problems with the chiari malformation and the syrinx, so if they work on the shunt, it could help those other things out as well. Which makes me think that they DO think it is the syrinx that is the problem after all... BUT they are saying that it is not the syrinx that is causing his symptoms, it is the spinal cord itself that is compromised. SO WHICH IS IT, PEOPLE?

Also, if they are going to change their story and say that YES they DO think it is the syrinx that is causing the symptoms, but that it is too risky to operate directly on the syrinx to shunt it, then my next question is what will happen after we do the shunt revision and it doesn't make a difference? Will they consider shunting the syrinx down the road?

I talked to the NP in san fran today and asked her those two questions. She is going to ask the doc and see if he can personally call me.

sigh (frustrated)