ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: lawmama on January 10, 2010, 10:35:02 am
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Most of you already know how I am doing because I have been posting a lot, but I figured I would do a four week update for future pre-ops.
The Good:
At four weeks, I think I am doing extremely well. I'm basically back to my regular life. I am back to taking care of my children, driving, and doing light housework (I still avoid heavy lifting- including my chunky 3 1/2 year old son!). I will go back to classes tomorrow. I do feel like I could use an extra week or two to rest (if I had it), but I don't feel like I am really pushing myself beyond my capabilities at this point either. I am returning to school because sitting in a classroom taking notes is not strenuous and I think getting behind in my work would be far more stressful and harmful in the long run than actually going and trying to stay on top of things.
I feel very fortunate that I never had any facial weakness. My incision looks very good. When my hair is down, I think I look completely normal.
The Bad:
I still get tired and I still feel like I need a nap by mid-afternoon. I don't have the energy I did pre-op, nor the concentration quite yet. Also, although my balance has come SOOOO far, I still have some fine-tuning to do. My standing still balance is better than before surgery, but when I get in crowded areas or uneven terrain (the mall, for example), I still have to concentrate a bit more. I don't feel 100% steady in those situations yet.
Also, my head really hurts when I go out in the cold (and we've been having a record cold snap here in Florida lately). The left side of my head is still very numb and tender. However, the headaches I was experiencing from the tight muscles are all but gone. I don't need any medication at this point to deal with any of the little aches and pains. They pass pretty quickly.
I don't sleep through the night yet. I still wake up once or twice, at least. I think this is because I can't really lay on the AN side yet unless I roll all of the way over to my face. So, I think I'm waking up when I either get uncomfortable laying on my one side or if I try to roll over in my sleep and the pain in my head wakes me up. Either way, I have been able to go back to sleep when this happens. I'm not sleeping great, but I wasn't before my surgery either, so that really hasn't changed.
Learning to cope with the SSD is an up and down thing. It is really obvious in certain situations, and I've already had one or two slightly embarrassing situations because of it. I think that will be the hardest thing to deal with long-term. I have an appointment with an audiologist on Monday, so I will begin to think about what to do.
Also, I mentioned earlier that my concentration isn't quite back, but I wanted to expand on that a bit. I don't feel like I can fully focus yet. I've noticed, even in my posts here, that I will make silly grammatical or spelling errors that I normally wouldn't make. I also noticed when I was doing my reading for my classes next week that I have trouble focusing for very long and remembering what I read. I hope that will return with time.
That's about all. I really feel very fortunate. I think my outcome was very close to my best case scenario, with the exception of the SSD. I am not happy to have dealt with an AN, but I do feel like I did it with the best attitude I could. I try to remember how blessed I was that it was not cancer and that now that my surgery is over, I am free to move on with my life.
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Lyn -
with the exception of the cold bothering your head, you and I have had basically the same post op experience. The only difference is that I'm more than 2 1/2 years ahead of you.
So, I can tell you from experience, that although you may feel some days like the bad outweighs the good in your recovery, you are actually right on target. Four weeks post op is still early on and it's normal to have some "one step forward, two steps back" days. In reality you are doing very well :)
The fatigue generally lasts a few months; keep in mind your body has been through a lot and your brain had been through brain surgery - and then there were all the hours you were knocked out with anesthesia. Anesthesia takes time to get out of your system. So the energy and concentration level will definitely improve as time goes on. Your balance also should continue to improve - it's another thing that takes time.
The head numbness can last longer than other side-effects. I remember when I had my BAHA surgery - 9 months after my AN surgery - my head was still numb.
To sum it all up, hang in there, have patience, and over time things will improve to the point where you are pretty much back to your old self.
Jan
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Hey Lyn, glad to see you are doing well! I hope you aren't overdoing it, because I know when I do, I pay for it the next day. Classes are gonna be a challenge for you, good luck!!! Anyways, I think all of us December posties are doing pretty well and you are definitely right up there! Take care and keep sharing all your milestones with us!
Jay
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Lyn,
Sounds like you are doing well. Good luck with classes (law school is no walk in the park!) Take care of yourself & get your rest. The good is REALLY GOOD & the bad will become better with time.
Lynn
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Hi, Lyn and thanks for the update. Mostly positive - and I'm happy to see that. I think you're having a splendid recovery, considering you're only a month out of surgery. I had a similar recovery experience although I don't feel as if I ever quite regained my pre-op stamina level, but I'm a sexagenarian and age is very likely part of that. I've coped quite well with my SSD but many struggle with it and if so, the BAHA is a very good solution. I believe my cognitive abilities are fine and whatever deficits I may have had are long gone.
I'm sure you'll look back on this time - a mere four weeks post-op - and be amazed at well you were doing, a year or two from now when all this is receding in your life's rear-view mirror. I'm 3½ years post-op and my AN symptoms, diagnosis, surgery, recovery, radiation and regaining of normalcy all seems a bit unreal at times, although some things about your AN experience you'll never really forget. I hope the friends you've made on these forums are among the things you retain, as I'm sure you will. Best of luck as you continue your long-range recovery. :)
Jim
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After 3 days back to school let me state the obvious: Going back at 4 weeks is ROUGH!!! I would strongly recommend those of you going back to work take at least the full 6-8 weeks for recovery. I'm very lucky that school is a sit-down-and-listen activity and not even 8 hours a day or I wouldn't make it. Even still, I'm falling into bed every night. Whew!
Other than that, I'm doing very well. It is so nice to be back to my normal life and in the classroom doing what I love. The majority of my classmates have no idea that I went through this ordeal. A few, during conversation, asked me how my break was. I said, "great!" My closer friends that know are all very supportive and helpful.
I have no classes Friday or Monday (YIPPY!), so I will enjoy a nice 4-day weekend to recover from my first week back.
Thanks to all for your supportive comments. I hope all of you had an equally good week. I look forward to catching up on the posts when I have time this weekend. 8)
Lyn
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Yay Lyn!!!!
Loved reading your post and so glad to hear how well you are doing! I think you said everything perfectly :) I can't imagine how difficult school is for you right now but have no doubt you will conquer it being the strong, positive person you are! Also glad to hear you will have a long weekend to rest up a bit! You deserve it! Thanks so much for the update...talk soon! :D
Bren~
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I have no classes Friday or Monday (YIPPY!), so I will enjoy a nice 4-day weekend to recover from my first week back.
Can I have one of those? ;D
Glad you are back to something you like doing, Lynn. Now the AN can fade away and be replaced by school work. ;)
Steve
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Glad you are doing do well Lyn. I hope my surgery goes as well as yours. I am a little nervous about how long it will take for me to recover. I am a HS football coach so being on my feet and moving are pretty important to me. Good Luck & keep me posted
DJ
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Great job!!
I am about 1 week behind you with almost the exact same side effects...ssd, dizzy. I am still hoping I might get some hearing back..I have not had my post op with the ent yet; they want to see me at 4 months to have my hearing test...
merle :)
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CoachDJ,
Best of luck to you. I really count myself as a success story. I just went to New York this past weekend and we had a very active and full itinerary. No problems! I can honestly say that I feel like my old self again, with the exception of being SSD. That is still a bother, and I really need to begin pursuing some sort of solution (baha? TransEar? Hard to decide!). I truly believe that we are all different and every recovery will be different. I hope you are just as happy with your results as I have been with mine.
mnastasi,
I am glad you are also doing well. I hope they were able to preserve some hearing. Please keep us updated after your hearing test. Four months is a long time to wait!
Lyn
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You're having a Great recovery and you're doing what you want to do in taking courses and keeping mentally challenged. That's a good thing. The SSD thing is hard to deal with and so is the tinnitus. Good luck with the solution ... I'll be watching for your posts. Take it easy and rest well!!!
Mei Mei
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Hey Lynn,
So glad you are doing so well. I'm going on seven weeks post op and getting stronger each day. Finally getting back to a normal life. Balance issues are still a problem, but I'm walking a lot more. How is school going?
Take care,
Gingerbread 6 Marie