ANA Discussion Forum
AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: Mathilda on October 19, 2008, 11:44:44 pm
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This message is being written by Mathilda's daughter.
Her Surgery went very well this last Thursday. The muscles are preserved and her hearing was saved. She is very happy about all of this even though she is very tired. It was also a delight for her to meet Chari and Mike and wishes them well. Thank you all for your prayers! They have really helped a lot.
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Thanks so much, Mathilda's daughter! Have been thinking of her and hoping everything went well last week, and it sounds like it did! Great news that her hearing was preserved! Please give her my best.
Cindy
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Thanks - we were all wondering!! Give a big hug from us all. Are you the daughter from Texas? I live in Texas...
Hope things continue to keep getting better!
K
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Thanks so much for the update! So glad that your mom's surgery went well! She'll need her rest for the next few weeks, but will continue to feel better every day.
Continued wishes for s speedy recovery!
Nancy L
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Great news! Thanks for taking the time to let us know. We all appreciate that!
I hope mom is feeling better and better every day!
Lori
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Thanks so much for the update. Please tell your mom that Marci from Ohio is sending her best wishes.
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Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear the surgery went well. I'm sending best wishes for a speedy, uneventful recovery.
Wendy
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Wow - muscles preserved and hearing saved - can't ask for more than that ;D
Thanks for the update, Mathilda's daughter. We were all wondering how your mom was doing.
Jan
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Hooray for Mathilda!! May the recovery be fast and uneventful.
Debbi
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Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your kind words. I'm doing great ! Cannot be more thankful for my wonderful results ! Hearing is great (had a test yesterday). Face doing well (a little numbness but that's normal I guess); starting to be able to sleep again at night. Scar seems to be healing OK. Just a little funky appearance with the question mark shaved in my very short hair (easy to deal with though; it gets people to talk to you). We're staying with some wonderful people in the Highlands of the Pacific Palisades; nice and quiet, beach at 6 minutes!
What more can I want for !
The first days after surgery went by in a haze; hardly remember anything. The 3rd and 4th day were miserable and from then on most days are a little better than the day before. Driving in the car is the hardest thing so far. I still feel as if my eyes are wobbling around on the water. But I guess it's just all part of the whole thing. Patience is a good thing but not always easy to come by. I've set a goal to be "normal" again around Christmas time. No pushing or shoving until then!
Thanks to all of you for your positive input on this forum. It has been highly appreciated.
I'll make sure that Cindy will get the magic scarf next week. It has done the trick for me!
Take care, love
Mathilda
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Hi Mathilda,
You sound as though you are doing great for two weeks out of surgery! I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you when you were at St. Vincent's. I had my surgery there in early August and met with Cheri the day before she had hers. I'll see Cindy next week, so maybe our paths will still cross.
Enjoy your stay and continue to take it easy - the Palisades are a great place to recuperate!
Wishing you a smooth and uneventful recovery!
Nancy
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Mathilda-
Did I read that right - are you already driving?? You GO girl! ;D
Debbi
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Well, technically not driving but riding I guess :D
It's getting better though!
The Dutch cookies are called : STROOPWAFELS and I agree; they are yummy especially if you put one in the microwave for 9 seconds before eating it. If you ever go to the Netherlands and visit a market you can very often buy them freshly baked. Mmmmm! Just one more week and I'll be home again.
Nancy, when are you seeing Cindy? We're hoping to meet her on Wednesday the 5th, either at around 11 am or 5 pm somewhere close to the (Santa Monica?) beach. Maybe we can pm about it?
Mathiilda
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Hey Mathilda!
Just talked w/ Nancy and looks like we'll see you Wed afternoon at the beach! Can't wait to see you and Nancy...and the Magic Scarf, and then the rest of the LA gang on Thursday! I'm feeling guilty about all this fun it looks like I'm going to have prior to surgery ::) I sent you my cell # in my last PM to you...call if anything needs to change. Enjoy the rest of your weekend out there!
Cindy
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Hi Mathilda,
I just PM'd you with details and my home phone number. Glad we'll have a chance to meet before you go back to the Netherlands!
Nancy
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Yes there are quite a few people from Texas. We met a girl at Seton who lives 3 hours north east from Dallas. She had surgery 2 days before I did. Her name is Gidget. She was doing very well. Her hearing was saved and also her facial nerve. We both felt so tremendously blessed with our outcome !
But I agree, Texas is huge! Our oldest daughter lives about half an hour from McKinney and when we visited her last June I was just amazed at the distances. Of course you have to realise that we live in a tiny country with everything close by. I can just hop on my bike and ride to the beach in 40 minutes. It takes 30 minutes in the car to drive to Amsterdam, 15 to The Hague, 25 to Rotterdam, 30 to Utrecht, 20 to Delft. That is, if you're not caught in traffic. Our country is about 200 miiles long and 100 miiles wide ;D. Isn't that strange to you people living in Texas ? We enjoy it though living so close to everything. Our towns are pretty condensed, so there is still enough countryside in between. Just enough to enjoy riding bikes from one place to another. But to the Texans among you, my country must seem like a miiniature state. There's 16 million people living in it though!
Mathilda
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Mathilda:
My embarrassingly belated congratulations on your successful surgery and impressive recovery! May it continue apace.
Thanks for sharing it with us. :)
Jim
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Oh, I LOVE Stroopewaffles! I discovered them on my first trip to the Netherlands and brought home as many as I could fit in my suitcase. They are wonderful warmed over a cup of tea or coffee - it gently steams and heats them and makes their center nice and soft. Oh, heaven ....
There's Dutch chocolaterie in town and she carries stroopewaffles, so I must go get some very soon!
Debbi, dreaming of stroopewaffles...
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I will ask her to say it when I see her later today! We made it in last night and are awaiting our Tour Guide, Nancy L, to arrive! We are to meet Mathilda at the beach later today - can't believe I'm really finally here - even though I'm from Atlanta, I feel rather like a country bumpkin come to town out here - it's very cool.
Will get back here later tonight to give you guys a report...had a bomb scare one block from the hotel this morning - how exciting!
cindy
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Hi All,
After a quick tour of the city, Cindy, her hubby, her mom and I did meet with Mathilda and her husband Max. I'll post some more pics on a different thread, but since everyone here was following Mathilda's progress, I thought you would all like to see the lovely pic we took of Mathilda and Max today.
She is three weeks post-op, and had more energy than all of us!
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/3007657854_e4044e7950.jpg)
Cheri - Cindy also remembered to ask her to say STROOPEWAFFLES! I wish I had a sound bite!
Mathilda - It was such a pleasure to meet you and Max. Have a safe flight home tomorrow and please keep in touch with us!
Nancy
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Mathilda~
You look GREAT! I wish I looked like that now & my surgery was a LONG time ago!! LOL!! ;D
Safe travels,
K
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Nice!
Now it is international jet-setters strolling the streets of LA on a pleasant evening, having a casual discussion about waffles and brain surgery. :)
Nancy, I trust you and the LA Welcoming Committee are taking good care of Cindy as well.
Steve
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Actually, the committee was down one today (we need some more members!), but David was able to take some time out from moving today to join me in giving Cindy the official LA welcome.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/3010112676_4e8e818b47_m.jpg)
Cindy - we will all be sending our good thoughts and vibes to you on Friday morning! Looking forward to hearing updates from your mom as soon as she's able to send them.
Nancy
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Hi everyone
It was truely wonderful to meet Nancy and Cindy with mom and hubbie. Nancy and co. sure do a great job in welcoming and reassuring everyone.
Thanks for a pleasant time! And of course all the best to Cindy who by now should be starting to come out of the clouds.
We have returned home and it was very very nice to embrace my youngest daughter (17) who was thrilled that we had returned home after a 4 week "getaway".
Although the weather in LA was more comfortable it is better to be home. Especially now that I have an excuse to just sit around and do nothing for a large part of the day ;D A little dangerous though because I now also have the time to analyse all the things I would love to see changed in my house. But at the same time great to actually have the possibility to read all the books that have been idly sitting on my bookshelves.
I'm feeling a little better every day though it's still kind of "loud" inside my head. The tinnitus has been more noticeable since the surgery but I'm sure it will get better over time. I just need some patience I guess. It still is only 3 1/2 weeks.
Mathilda
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Mathilda,
I'm so happy all went well for you and now you are home, where there is no place like it, even if you want to change it a bit!
My daughter introduced me to stroupwaffels while in Germany and OMG! These are dangerously yummy! Another favorite I found were "Happy Hippos"! I share everything in my life (except those) with my hubby! Now that my daughter resides in the USA, I must resort to friends of hers over there to mail me a box when they can.
I have to say you are doing exceptionally well if you can focus your eyes, almost 4 weeks post, enough to read. Enjoy your books and your time healing!
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I'm sorry Cheri, but I don't have a clue as to where you can buy the real good ones online. All I know is that when we lived in Idaho we tried some and they were also quite cinnamony which we didn't like at all. When we fly again I will buy some more (I bought the ones I gave to you on the airport) and maybe it has an internet address on the box. However I don't think we will be flying anytime soon. Normally I buy them at the supermarket but they don''t have an internet address on the packet.
Sorry !
We arrived home safely after a tiring trip. Jetlag is also bothering us so I don't sleep very well these days. But give me time and I'm sure I will recuperate.
It's great to be home though!
Question: how long did it take for the little tape on your tummy incision to come off. Even after showering every day and taking a couple of baths mine is still holding strong. Just wondering.
The vein in which the IV was in my arm is currently very painful. Swollen and hard. Must be some sort of an inflammation. It started on the day of our flight home. The past two days it seemed to get better but today is worse. I guess I'll have to go see my GP tomorrow or so. I have no clue what it is.
Though on the 5th day at the hospital the lower half of my IV arm was very very swollen but after they took the IV out it got better after a day or two. So I find it strange that now the vein has started to get swollen and bother me again more than two weeks later.
How are you keeping?
Mathilda
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Mathilda,
shame on me for not chiming in sooner :( My bad... thrilled to hear all has gone well and that you are now back home (hoping the jetlag wears off VERY soon). Please take it easy and hang in there... and sending continued wellness wishes to you.
Congrats on Postie-hood! And thrilled to hear you got to meet the "worst" coast gang
*ducks for cover from flying objects aimed at me from LA*
Phyl
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Hello. Put some hot packs on your arm at the IV inflammation site. I am a retired nurse and saw it happen every so often. I had it happen to me after one of my AN surgeries and can hurt like heck. They can take several days to go away and I never seen any that needed antibiotic. It is doubtful it is a true blood clot. Can't remember one ever really being one. Of course talk to your dr if doesn't improve.
Sounds like you are otherwise doing very well and you look wonderful. Good luck on your continued recovery.
Cheryl R
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Mathilda,
Sounds as though you're coming along wonderfully -- congratulations! I remember that the tape over my abdominal incision stuck around for quite a while -- but don't worry -- it will eventually come off on its own. I had my annual gynecological exam a couple of months after my surgery and when my doctor asked me what the incision on my abdomen was from, I replied, "my brain surgery!!" I gave him the full story after we both stopped laughing.
Catherine (JerseyGirl2)
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Mathilda:
Having once lived in Southern California (North Hollywood, 1975-77) I know how pleasant the climate can be but to recuperate from AN surgery, there really is 'no place like home'.
You seem to be doing splendidly in your recovery and I pray that it will continue unabated - and that you'll overcome the urge to remodel your home as 'therapy'. :)
Jim
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Well, actually dizziness is the thing that does bother me the most but I know it is part of the deal. I just hope that it won't take forever. Right now it seems that I'm not doing much better in that respect but that probably has to do with the trip and the jetlag. So, I'm practicing patience !
Mathilda
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Make sure with the patience you practice your vestibular exercises as this will help with the vertigo and dizziness you are experiencing.
From what I understand House gives their patients specific exercises and the ANA has a brochure for just this also on this site we have shared our exercises with each other under Balance Issues. Do a search under that heading for vestibular exercises if you do not have any of your own.
Best of everything to you Mathilda! Look forward to hearing from you now and then or always whichever suits you!
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Thanks Arushi, I did get some exercises from House but I'll also look at the Balance Issue section.
Today I walked to the supermarket all by myself. We had a lovely sunny day and it only takes about 12 minutes to walk there since everything is so close here so I figured it would be a good exercise for me. It went very well. Had my cane with me just in case. I did need it once in a while but it was great to feel somewhat independant again. Just bought some grapes since I still cannot lift/carry more than the allowed pounds.
The problem with the vein is not an uncommon one after having IV according to my GP. It'll go away by itself; just needs time and rest and cooling the arm should help along with some pain relief medication if necessary. So more patience is needed! I wonder: do I need to learn something here??? :D
Mathilda