Greetings to all of you!
Tomorrow is my 6-week anniversary of surgery - and sometimes, I think it feels like it's been much longer! But here's the journey to date:
Before surgery - bad taste in my mouth, facial tingling, poor balance, burning feeling in mouth 24/7, eyes jerk back and forth every now and then
AFter surgery and subsequent staff infection - no facial tingling or burning in mouth, balance issues remain but getting better, eyes are fine, but I only cry on one side! Has this happened to anyone else? Will tears come back?
My neurosurgeon doesn't have much to say about it, but it's annoying to me!
I had a PICC line for high dose antibiotics when the staph infection was found, but it was removed last week. YAY!!!!! (Just when I learned how to get a shower!)
I generally have no headaches during the day at all. But at night, a few hours before I go to bed, I start getting one mostly in the back of my head. If I don't take my vicodin (?) before I go to bed, I wake up with a horrible headache in the middle of thei night. Is this normal?
At what point do I get worried about these regular headaches and try another medication? They are quite manageable with the meds I take now.
My biggest issue now, however, is healing this wound in the back of my head! The Drs really scraped it a good bit when I had the staph infection and now it is this ugly wound. Since I can't sleep on my face (at least I haven't figured that out!), it has to be wrapped at night and during naps to protect it (and my bedding). The dr. said to use a wet/dry dressing - we do. BUT, every time we take it off in the mornings, it opens it up again and start all over. My husband said it is looking better every day, but it sure doesn't look that way to me... How is this ever going to heal? My dr. says to be patient, and it will take weeks! UGH! Has anyone had this experience?
?
I feel like I'm getting stronger every day. My appetite is back (which the 15 lbs I've lost will be but a memory soon!!!), and I now feel like doing the vestibular exercises that Jan sent me!! My disability leave has been approved through 4/6/09 and at first, I thought there was no way I would need that long, but was I wrong. Many of you have returned to your regular activities so much more quickly than me and I am so envious!
Before surgery, when I was scared to death and seeking counsel, so many of you told me that everyone is different and that no one is alike on this one! That is so true! But there is abundant life afterwards - something I doubted for a while...especially in the weeks prior to surgery (and yes, during the staph infection!). I sure hope that I'm past the worst part of this!!
Thanks to everyone who has helped me so much the past several weeks!!! I'm off to bed - my husband has wrapped my head again, and tomorrow, we'll start all over!!!
Kathy