ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Balance Issues => Topic started by: another NY postie on January 18, 2010, 12:12:24 pm
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I am very confused about balance right now and what exactly affects it. On paper, I have had an amazing recovery. I was jogging around 6 weeks, rode a bike at 11 weeks and skied at 14 weeks. I did not, however, return to work until January 4th. I teach in a middle school and it is noisy and chaotic and the doctor wrote me a note for after the holiday break. I went back feeling great and able to take it on. I was jogging/walking about 3 miles a day and sleeping well. I knew that I would have an adjustment period getting back into the routine. I expected fatigue at the beginning.
What I did not expect and have been experiencing is balance issues. It is like my brain cannot process all the stimuli that I am receiving throughout the day. I have a hard time hearing and my head aches by the end of the day. I started clipping walls with my shoulder - something I haven't done since week 3 or 4. I actually ran smack into the corner I was rounding and slammed my face. I had never done that once during post recovery. My hearing seems to have become hyper sensitive. I had no issue before with hyper acoustia but yesterday the sound of dripping water in my kitchen sink sounded deafening. This Friday my surgery side actually ached and hurt where my jaw muscle was cut. It hurt like it hurt after surgery but I had not felt ANY of this for about 8-10 weeks. I am dreading going back tomorrow - the hallways alone strike fear in me. It is like I am trapped in a food court at the mall for 8 hours.
I was told by a physical therapist on Thursday that I went to see that my brain is still re-wiring and that I have overloaded it. I have also not been sleeping well and she said that was probably due to the overstimulation also. Has anyone experienced this type of regression? I feel it is all brain related.
Cheryl
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Hi Cheryl-
I think you are absolutely correct in thinking that your brain is stressed. Think about all that your brain is trying to do right now. Also keep in mind that your eyes are doing a lot of the balancing work right now - and when you are in a situation with a lot of visual stimulus, your brain may get "sidetracked" and miss what your eyes are seeing. I definitely have more balance problems when I am in noisy environments, or places with a lot of color and motion. I also get very fatigued when I am have been in noisy environments - and with fatigue comes balance issues. It will get better with time, so try not to get too frustrated!
Debbi
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This falls under the 3 steps forward two steps beck rule......you have to remember your head or my head anyway stayed numb
for about 4 or 5 months after surgery as the nerves regenerate n feeling comes back it will be sore.Hang in.
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Hi Cheryl,
I think what Debbi said about your brain getting overloaded and sidetracked is so true. We start feeling better and doing too much and result in not feeling well or having balance issues. I think that's what happened when I fell in the subway a few weeks ago- too much movement, too much color and my eyes and brain did not coordinate which caused me to miss a step and fall. I know it is hard when any of us have these 'setbacks', but remember that's all they are and you may just need to slow down alittle bit for a while to regroup. I hope you feel better soon. :)
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Cheryl ~
Although I didn't experience what you're dealing with, l wanted to add my agreement to your therapist's contention that your brain is likely being overstimulated and your balance loss is part of a reaction to that. I suspect you've pushed too hard - a common mistake when recovery goes well - and are 'paying' for it, now. You'll just have to slow down, perhaps take time off and allow your brain to rest and 'reboot', as it were. I'm sure everything will balance out in time. 'In time' being the operative phrase, here. Even so, you've still had an excellent recovery.
Jim
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Cheryl,
I am not as far as you, but...yes! I asked my ENT on my appt last Monday about my own intolerance to noisy situations. I also have noticed that when it is very noisy I get dizzy and I have a VERY hard time tuning out loud background noise. For example, if someone is trying to talk to me in a noisy restaurant, I have a hard time hearing what they are saying because it gets lost in the background noise. I was told this is very normal, and that it takes the brain a long time to learn to deal with everything coming from just one side because sound from each ear goes to the opposite side of the brain and our brain is used to working 2-sided. Suddenly, we are asking one side to handle everything we hear. That made sense to me.
Is it possible some of your balance issues are due to fatigue? If you are just returning to work, you might be wearing your brain out, so to speak. I really think it will get better in time, but until then I hope you have an easier week.
Lyn
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Hi cheryl,sorry to hear of your balance problems but i know what you mean.I havent slept well since surgery and i feel worse now than i did 5 mths ago.ie wonky head,headaches and balnce issues.I think we could do with a good kip.(english word for sleep)take things easy :)
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Oh no Cheryl you've been doing so good, you've been way ahead of the game up to now.
I still bang my shoulders every once in a while when I first get up in the morning or get tired and in a hurry, and loud rooms that echo such as rooms with tile floors just about always overwhelm my hearing. I think that when you try to hurry things along is when you can get in trouble, like you might when you return to work. Returning to work is a HUGE step in recovery I'm sure it's overwhelming your balance and hearing right now. Then factor in the anxiety of the whole situation with all those kids and it becomes clear just how hard of a step returning to work really is.
Remember that during your recovery you could test your limits in a situation that you controlled, and if it got too hard you could back off until you were ready. Returning to work is a whole different ball game, and teaching middle school, I can't think of many other jobs where controlling the situation would be as difficult as yours. It's no wonder that you feel overwhelmed. I guess I'm more/less saying what's already been said by the others here. Just give it some more time. You'll adjust.
Out of all the people that I've come to know from this nightmare experience, I would bet that you would be the one to get through this. Nothing else seems to have slowed you down.
Your progress has been important to me for setting my goals. I've been using your recovery to gauge my own. And tomorrow is my first day back to work.
Maybe you could stuff some cotton in your ear/s and slow down your routine. We have to find our "new normal" and that takes some time.
Mike
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Hi Cheryl,
Sorry to hear about your "re entry into the real world" problems. It will take time for things to settle down in that brain of yours. Recovering from surgery is easy, in comparison, because you get to do FUN balance games and walking and skiing to get your equilibrium under control! The real life stuff sometimes throws you (me) for a loop. :o The overstimulation can wreak havoc on my body, making me feel more out of sorts-thus the need for daily rests.
Anyway you can do half days with substitute help? Do they have a lounge where you can actually lay down with earplugs for 30 minutes (maybe the nurses office?)
That is A LOT to have coming at you with being a teacher in a noisy enviornment- all day.
The AN journey continues.
Hang in there, we know how you feel!
Maureen
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I wonder if someone with SSD gets one of the hearing devices if that helps at all??
Has anyone noticed that?
Thinking of you Cheryl!!!
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Thanks to everyone for the comments and support. I just spoke to Dr. Brackmann this evening. He concurred with the physical therapist that it is overstimulation and suggested that I cut back the load for now. I was in my car driving so all my questions went out the window, so I am going to call him back tomorrow to clarify some things.
But for any veteran out there, in the noisy, chaotic environments like malls (or schools! ::)), did you build up a resistance to this? Does the wonky headed/dizziness go away ever? I am just wondering if this is just something that I live with, or if, in time, it will happen less and less. I still find it so disconcerting because I was feeling NONE of this during my recovery, with the exception of the first maybe 4 weeks - and it is feeling more extreme now than it was then.
Cheryl
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Hi Cheryl, my vestibular therapist told me last night that fatigue could cause a lapse/regression in my vestibular system. I went back to work this week too...now my vestibular progress has not been near as good as yours! Work has not been taxing but he warned me not to overdo it and get too tired! I'm looking into intermittent leave (not full medical leave) for the next few months in case my vesitibular system decides to take a vacation as I get back into the swing of things.
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I to started feeling worse a few months after surgery especially after I tried to go back to work we just have to remember we had major brain surgery. Now we have to slow down we are not the same as before and our bodies are telling us something we cannot get overloaded. Some of us do get better and others learn to live with it I feel personally some of us are never going to feel 100% but hopefully close to it one day.
Best Wishes,
Pat
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Hi Cheryl! So sorry this is all happening. So, overstimulation...Fill us in if Brackmann has anything else to add today. But I understand as a teacher - it is hard to just "cut back" your hours!
I'm stretching for something here,
Are you on your feet all day? Could you sit more...maybe on a stool, if not at your desk?
Are you eating? Maybe a snack could level your head a bit.
Maybe it is visual. Remember my balance issues were much more related to my eye movement. Maybe all the visual stimulation is affecting your wobbly head.
I still have sensitivity to noise. I hear electrical zaps when I lay down. I also hear/feel noise go in my good ear and zap in my deaf ear when my husband clicks off the TV or the phone rings. I can't hear anything when the water is running or a fan is noisy!
Hang in there. Try to get some good sleep. Sounds like your brain is doing jumping jacks ;) Alicia
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Alicia, I think it is visual compounded by noise. I did speak with Dr. Brackmann today but he really didn't add anything - that it was due to fatigue and stress - just to slow down - that I wasn't hurting myself or doing any permanent damage- and that I would slowly get back to "normal". He really didn't give me the brain re-wiring feedback/explanation I was looking for. I kinda felt like I was annoying him with all my questions...Donnalynn had me read a book called My Stroke of Insight about a 37 yr old woman who recovered from stroke and she explains all about the brain healing. Very interesting and helped me understand a few things. I went for my daily walk today that I haven't done in 3 weeks (since returning to work) - felt really good but I am definitely was more visually wobbly than I was before. I have been pretty much in the quiet all day today. My daughter is home sick with fever/bronchitis and so I stayed home. So this is more the environment I have been living in..very quiet. And I feel very centered and not dizzy at all right now. Unfortunately this is a pretty insulated environment and I really can't live like this forever :o I am going to see if I can cut back a little for awhile at work and work it more slowly. We'll see what they say. I am not sure I like this school environment anymore which poses a whole new set of questions and dilemas - but enough for one day! lol
Cheryl
PS You are right by the way, I am pretty much on my feet all day!
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Awww Cheryl, sorry to hear about what's going on, but I am REALLY glad you posted this, as I am about ready to return to the work force here in a couple of weeks. I work in a fabrication plant making computer chips (Intel Corp.) and I work around a lot of machinery. Usually I am on my feet a lot and as I work a 12 hour shift, I am a bit nervous about how this will go. I will most certainly try to keep my work load to a minimum, thankfully I work for a company that allows this. I can only imagine how being SSD can compound your recovery and lead to the overload. I know you have read a lot of posts on here as well as I and that seems to be a common trend amongst all of us who have gone through this and now trying to adapt and the biggest thing is we all get back on our feet expecting to go back to doing things at the same pace we used to. Well, we just can't do that. Anyways, thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us, newbies and alike! PS: Sorry to hear about your daughter, hope she is feeling better!
Jay
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Tumors do stink!
Try not to get too discouraged yet. I have found when I try to do something and it hurts or does not feel good (drying my hair, remember that? situps, running, laying on the AN side), if I just wait and try it again in a month, it feels better. I realize this is not what you or your boss really wants to hear, but I have got to believe the wobbly head/dizziness should get better. If it doesn't, I guess you have another unexpected new road in front of you.
It's not a door closing , it's a new one opening ;) Alicia
Will find that book...and sending get well wishes your daughter's way right now!
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Cheryl,
I am a teacher, too, 4th grade, actually. I did not have the surgery, but am at the stage post radiosurgery where I think my tumor is swelling and therefore, causing me more symptoms. I have been having a very difficult time teaching lately. My head feels like I'm underwater and when talking with kids at close range they seem so far away. Not just from a hearing perspective, but in terms of being able to connect to their conversation. I want to slow down all the movement and noise in my class, which of course, I cannot do. By the end of the day, I am absolutely exhausted. I definitely can relate to the too much stimulation comments many have made. But, that can't change... it's my job. I'm trying to decide if I should take some time off from work and work on some rehab and rest, of course, and see if there is any improvement. I'm hoping the tumor will start to shrink/die soon and I will return to normal.
Are you taking time off from teaching? I hate it that my students are getting this "less than whole" me as their teacher. I'm sitting when I'm teaching just to minimize the light-headedness... something I rarely did prior. I'm less patient than normal and am constantly asking the kids to work more quietly, even when they are in groups and need to talk. I forget what I'm saying mid-sentence and it takes me at least double the amount of time it used to just to create my lesson plans and grade papers. I'm just so tired...
Lee
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Hi Cheryl,
Yep, I have had those same issues. Most recently, I've been coaching 10 yr old boys in a very nosy gym on Saturday mornings. At any one moment, there are 40 plus boys, yelling, and screaming, with bouncing basketballs and adults conversing all at once. The last two Saturdays, I've had to lie down in the afternoon when I get home due to the pounding in my brain! Luckily, I work in a relatively quiet office during the week, but the work is intense. So by Thursday or Friday, I'm tired and the body is starting to drift a bit. As long as I get a good rest during the weekend, I'm usually good to go by Monday morning. So yes, fatigue both physical and mental can add to the impaired balance, at least in my case.
BTW Alicia, you described those electrical zaps perfectly. I thought it was just me. I'll be almost to full sleep in bad at night when I hear an otherwise normal sound in the house, and in the other I'll get that loud "ZZZZZZZTTT!!!" It sounds like the sound my speakers make when I shut down the stereo. Weird things these nerves..............
Steve
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THanks for everyone's ideas and support. I had a teacher give me some noise reduction foam earplugs this morning that she had around her house...I know it is an obvious one, but I just hadn't gotten to earplugs and boy do they make a difference in homeroom and hallways or anywhere I don't want to hear much or increase my white noise. The caveat is that I can't hear much so I can't really use them in classroom. It does make me want to explore the musician's ear plug I heard about. Anyone try those? Think they would work in a classroom - would I hear the kids or just the kid who I am conversing with? Not sure of the "whole classroom" application and they are custom made so that is why I haven't pursued that yet
Balance: I am doing MUCH better with this. Haven't clipped a wall in a couple of weeks! ;D I started walking/jogging again on Friday. I had not done this for 3 weeks because I was so darned tired after work. There was some movement to the world but after I felt great and have kept it up. I did, however, only have a three day week last week so that might be contributing (LOTS) to my wellness!
I am pretty sure they are not going to go for part-time using my sick time for the other time and I don't think I can afford to cut my salary by 2/5. A teacher who went through a serious illness told me today that her doctor wrote a note saying she needed to go part time and they refused so she stayed out longer. I am going to try right now to do a 4 day week, using a sick day once a week. I am also trying different strategies during the day - I stay in a quiet room for two breaks in a row which is 80 minutes. I am going to try walking outside a bit during this time to center/ground myself more. I am also trying to stay off the computer a bit. Sleep is somewhat better....
....so maybe this is all just a big transition (wobbly) minus the noise stuff that is SSD stuff. Time will tell...
Hanging in there day by day ;)
Cheryl
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Cheryl,
Glad to see that you trying different things to adapt to the new post AN "you", something that people just don't get- we do ;)
Those foamy ear plugs are great aren't they? Keep adapting and walking and resting when you can.
You are doing AWESOME for the fact that you are tackling all those stimuli so quickly after major brain surgery. Things will get better :)
Maureen
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You didn't mention any headaches? For me noise/headaches is a constant battle even after 6 1/2 years . Sound like the remaining nerves left off the brain are still sending signals to the brain or the 5th nerve is going wacko. I am afraid being in noise envioment will soon develop into an headache pattern that many of us An'er with larger tumors suffer from, not all, but big percentage. ref: Helsinki report.
From my experience all the little high pitch nosies, water dripping, or even water turned on for bath or shower, silverware clanking, glasses clanking togather, any radio or TV turned up even loud enough to hear it creates the buzz and many times have triggers severe headaches, I always have head pain. Even riding or driving at moderate speeds with no radio on causes the buzz for me especially after a day of work. You will find you have a new sensitivity now for little nosies that before you never even heard. People and even doctors really don't understand what most of us go through (unless you got a doctor that actually had an AN), they see a seemly healthily looking person and probably think we are just whining, at least that's the preception I get, but I'm a male. IMO don't expect anybody that don't have your condition to understand nor do most of them care cause the see no change from the outside. IMO that's why most people don't understand migraine's till they had one, most think is just like a bad hangover, not!
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Just wanted to say I suffered all the same issues as you but I am pre-op - lost my hearing and a lot of balance function very suddenly though
and I think what you are describing is suffered by almost all people who do suffer this kind of loss suddenly.
I would think getting over the op maybe increases your tiredness but I still get very tired when I have had a busy day - I've just been to see a vestibular physiotherapist who says this is all normal and even though I am two years on from my loss, my brain will tire more easily than someone with binaural hearing/vestibular function and consquently this can also affect my balance at times. I am going back for a programme of exercises in the gym which will help to create new neural pathways and this will help my balance overall - so I'm told (still knocking into door frames and furniture from time to time).
Where the noise is concerned - that will definately get better - maybe you have overdone it but you have to experience it to get used to it! I struggled initially in all kinds of noisy environments (including lectures when there was background noise) but my brain has adjusted and I get by quite well - in fact I tell very few people I have a hearing deficit at all.
I do wear earplugs very selectively and I am sometimes very glad to be in a quiet place at the end of a busy, noisy day! I only really struggle now where there is loud ambient noise and someone is on my deaf side (well slightly behind me strangely!) if they are anyway roundabout in front/side of me I am ok.
It's for this reason I would like to try an aid (maybe the transear) just to boost my hearing in certain situations. Anyway, sounds like you are really doing well and pushing yourself (if a little too much!) but I can understand your quest for normaility. I am planning to have my AN out later in the year and hopefully all I have been through before means I have far less adjusting to do after.... :)
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I seem to be adapting slowy to the noisy enviroment and the wear and tear effects seem to be more cumulative, so by the end of the week, my surgery area (jaw/eye socket) ache and I am very fatigued. BUT I went skiing again today and did fine. Go figure!!! ::) Mike (loosescrewstightened) has a theory that we can do difficult things that we did before where we were always conscious of our balance (he was able to skateboard again!) but the every day things that we take no notice of and were automatic, trip (no pun intended :D) us up. Anyhow, when I ski, I am 100% focused on my balance and it is quiet. My daughter even talked me into to going down a couple of blacks (very wimpy blacks, mind you). I made myself go today because I needed the exercise and I wanted to see if I could do it now with all this other stuff going on. Yet, I get dizzy and wobbly from middle school!?! This old brain is definitely a mysterious thing and steers its own course in recovery ...
Cheryl
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Yet, I get dizzy and wobbly from middle school!?! This old brain is definitely a mysterious thing and steers its own course in recovery ...
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
Yes, the brain is definitely very mysterious! I do so much better outside, with nature sounds, with the tinnitus/occasional dizziness problems. Being confined in a room with all those noises/activities going on just will take getting used to.
That's cool that you could go skiing again, what fun. Keep up the good work :)
Maureen
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Hey Cheryl,
I just saw this thread today and I was very sorry to hear you've been struggling a bit since your return to work. I can't imagine teaching middle school right now, or any school for that matter, but I think anyone who has gone through brain surgery and is now adapting to a new way of interpreting the world (being SSD) would find your situation challenging. You have been a role model success story for so many of us as you've bounced back so quickly from surgery even though you suffered some losses. We all suffer some kind of casualty and we know this going in. Most of us hoped for the best possible outcome and want to get back to our normal routine as soon as possible. As we've learned from so many survivors who've gone through this years ago, we can have unexpected setbacks further down the recovery road. I'm still so inspired by your strength and I know you'll get through the tough times.
Hang in there and keep doing the fun stuff!
Amy
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This old brain is definitely a mysterious thing and steers its own course in recovery ...
Cheryl,
I had to quote that because it is something I keep saying too (about "the brain is definitely a mysterious thing")! So true! One of my issues is that I sure wish others who have not had any type of brain surgery, complications, or just AN issues could understand. I think I'm tired of people saying "join the club, my hearing has been off for awhile", or saying "it will get better soon". They just don't know. As for some of us (like yourself & I for sure), the SSD was a sudden thing after surgery. Not the same as slowly losing hearing or dealing with muffled sounds. Our brains have to suddenly try to readjust to everything, plus heal from a major surgery. As for "better soon"......how do they know? ;) [mind you, I'm only referring to people withOUT AN's]
I also know what Mike (loosescrewstightened) was saying and he sure did seem to have a great point there. Now you have some proof to that too, so cool!
Best Wishes to us ALL!
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This old brain is definitely a mysterious thing and steers its own course in recovery ...
Cheryl,
I had to quote that because it is something I keep saying too (about "the brain is definitely a mysterious thing")! So true! One of my issues is that I sure wish others who have not had any type of brain surgery, complications, or just AN issues could understand. I think I'm tired of people saying "join the club, my hearing has been off for awhile", or saying "it will get better soon". They just don't know. As for some of us (like yourself & I for sure), the SSD was a sudden thing after surgery. Not the same as slowly losing hearing or dealing with muffled sounds. Our brains have to suddenly try to readjust to everything, plus heal from a major surgery. As for "better soon"......how do they know? ;) [mind you, I'm only referring to people withOUT AN's]
I also know what Mike (loosescrewstightened) was saying and he sure did seem to have a great point there. Now you have some proof to that too, so cool!
Best Wishes to us ALL!
I just cannot say it enough this forum is so good for so many especially me you said exactly the same words I have said only to my husband who falls under that category others I have not yet had the nerve to say it to them. Thank you for writing down my exact thoughts.
Best Wishes,
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You know I've lost count of the times I have explained, after being asked, the difficulties and frustrations I am learning to deal with since becoming SSD and I get a response of 'me too' from someone who is not SSD. As if a noisy restaurant or gym is just the same for them as me. I remember what it was like before I became SSD and yes some noisy environments made it difficult to hear well in -- BUT it is not the same as being SSD in that environment. There is a tremendous dimensional difference that people just don't get. If I can make an analogy - this is like saying to someone with one leg that going uphill is hard for me too.
:(
Neal
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You could not have said it any better! Non ANer's can never understand what we go through. They think " Oh, she had brain surgery, she looks fine, I don't see anyhting different about her". But WE all know better than that, which is why this forum helps keep me sane :)
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There is a tremendous dimensional difference that people just don't get. If I can make an analogy - this is like saying to someone with one leg that going uphill is hard for me too.
:(
Neal
Neal, I think you hit the nail on the head for me. I think I way underestimated the adjustment from going from hearing to SSD. I was around 85% on my SSD ear prior to surgery. I think that this adjustment is HUGE for the brain and I did not really think about my brain adjusting to that...certainly I knew I was re-wiring for balance and all my focus has been on that, but my true level of discomfort is noise and SSD effects. I also think that the SSD, in fact, affects my balance in those noisy atmospheres...there is too much to process by the brain when it is still healing and trying to figure out the balance and the hearing.
I know people look at me and see normal...I also don't show physically when I have had a rough nights sleep...so everyone thinks I am just rocking and rolling along on this. I haven't been sleeping because I am back in this weird, VIVID dreaming state I go through sometimes. I actually think some of it has happened, it is so vivid. Then I am exhausted all day. I think it is due to overstimulation of my brain, once again! :P
I have a meeting with my principal tomorrow. Not sure what it is going to do except keep her abreast of my recovery status. I am taking sick days when I need them. I don't expect much from the meeting but at least she will realize that all is not always well that looks well.
You all are awesome by the way! I would never wish this on any of you but it is sure nice to know that one is not alone and that there is COMPLETE understanding and empathy out there in our AN land!
Cheryl
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Hey Cheryl - I think you are describing this whole thing well. Considering the circumstances, we are ok. But all those things people can't see, drive us nuts. I think it's good to talk about it with your principal and co workers in a "update" kind of tone instead of a complaining "had a bad day" situation. So I think good will come from your meeting today - even if you don't see it directly. Better to play offense than defense all the time!
The lady that I know here in my town that had this tumor a few years ago...the one that lead me to be looked at...she got the musician ear plug just this winter...5 years post op. She loves it. Says it really tones down all the loud social places that she would tend to avoid, but still allows her to hear. She paid about $100. Can get more info if you'd like...
Have a great day girl, A
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I am very confused about balance right now and what exactly affects it. On paper, I have had an amazing recovery. I was jogging around 6 weeks, rode a bike at 11 weeks and skied at 14 weeks. I did not, however, return to work until January 4th. I teach in a middle school and it is noisy and chaotic and the doctor wrote me a note for after the holiday break. I went back feeling great and able to take it on. I was jogging/walking about 3 miles a day and sleeping well. I knew that I would have an adjustment period getting back into the routine. I expected fatigue at the beginning.
What I did not expect and have been experiencing is balance issues. It is like my brain cannot process all the stimuli that I am receiving throughout the day. I have a hard time hearing and my head aches by the end of the day. I started clipping walls with my shoulder - something I haven't done since week 3 or 4. I actually ran smack into the corner I was rounding and slammed my face. I had never done that once during post recovery. My hearing seems to have become hyper sensitive. I had no issue before with hyper acoustia but yesterday the sound of dripping water in my kitchen sink sounded deafening. This Friday my surgery side actually ached and hurt where my jaw muscle was cut. It hurt like it hurt after surgery but I had not felt ANY of this for about 8-10 weeks. I am dreading going back tomorrow - the hallways alone strike fear in me. It is like I am trapped in a food court at the mall for 8 hours.
I was told by a physical therapist on Thursday that I went to see that my brain is still re-wiring and that I have overloaded it. I have also not been sleeping well and she said that was probably due to the overstimulation also. Has anyone experienced this type of regression? I feel it is all brain related.
Hi Cheryl,
Sounds very familiar. Last week things were going very well (I'm now 9 weeks post op) so I was very active over the weekend, we even went to a concert Saturday night. And Sunday was jammed, but by that evening, my head became numb all over, tinitus was at a new high level, and I felt like my head would explode from pressure. I was wondering if I had over stimulated everything, so your experiences and what your therapist said makes sense to me. It's now Friday, and things are starting to return back to where they were last week. My balance is getting better as well. ( skiing at 14 weeks? I'm thinking more like two years for me) So I'm going to take it easy this weekend and see if that helps.
Good luck.
Tom
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Reading and posting my own thoughts on this thread actually brings tears to my "eye". It is good tears because it actually comforts me and makes me remember I am so not alone! If it weren't for this forum, where would we be??
Besides the same SSD issues, I have had increased annoying tinnitus the past couple weeks. Man does that add to the issues.
I wasn't sure of posting this, but no harm & possibly helpful to others: I started seeing a counselor just 2 weeks ago. Only about 2 1/2 months post op. I am SO glad I did. I can 'bounce' my thoughts and issues off her and she sure has some additional outlook to things. It has been very nice. It seems like I was doing more 'venting' to my wonderful, understanding husband(best friend). Now I am much better at not diong that either. So, just a thought for others in case some of this stuff brings you down in a way. We have had many changes and Cheryl, I like you "underestimated the adjustment from going to hearing to SSD".
Thinking of you all and praying for us all!!
P.S. THANKS AGAIN, Denise
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All I can possibly add to this thread is Amen..well defined and related!
Brenda