Update

I’m on day 10 at home. I’m having a headache pretty much every morning. Some days much worse than others. I’m finding that if I do too much in the morning, which is when I feel the best after breakfast and a pain pill, I feel much worse around 1:00 and the rest of the afternoon. So, today I experimented and did nothing this morning. Literally nothing. I have felt much better this afternoon and just took a shower. I guess I might be overdoing it. I didn’t think so, but perhaps my head is telling me otherwise. Some days it’s an all-day headache that even the Vicadin won’t touch. I’ve been given permission from the Dr. to take Sudafed when I feel it’s a sinus issue, so that’s good.

I go for my follow-up MRI on Tuesday down in Scarborough (south of Portland), but do not get the results until my visit with Dr. Kwan the following Tuesday. A nurse is coming in twice a week and the occupational therapist is in one day a week to work with me. They’re both really nice.

I’m trying to bend down a bit more each day and continue walking in the house. I can’t move quickly as that throws my
balance off and bending completely over is a no-no just yet. I’m feeling a bit more stable when walking and standing, so I think the cane might be history soon. It’s more of a safety thing right now. If I SHOULD get dizzy, or I walk outside to get the mail on an uneven surface, I’d rather have it there, than not. I haven’t attempted the stairs yet. Laundry is piling up, so I fear I’ll need to soon but I won’t be able to lift the wet clothing.

I am sleeping very well though. I’ve never been much of a napper, so just laying down in the middle of the day isn’t
easy for me. Once I do, I always fall asleep, but it’s making myself do it that’s difficult.

Yesterday I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher (sitting on a chair) as well as sorted out and threw out magazines  and catalogs (threw them all on the floor and sat down) that
have accumulated throughout the house since I left on Oct. 5th. It took a lot out of me and I paid for it later in the day. Poor Dave came home to grumpy, whiny Heidi. She’s just so unattractive. I should have stopped after the dishwasher and called that my therapy for the day. But I felt good, so I pushed it. Bad Heidi, bad. I just fear I’ll become a couch potato, so I feel I HAVE to do something, but I can’t push it. A little at a time still. I just have to remind myself I’m recovering from brain surgery!

Recipe for Recovery

One of the kind care givers who stopped in to check on me gave me a copy of a poem a patient had written. I thought it was very appropriate.

Recipe For Recovery

    • 1 Cup of Hope
    • A Dash of Courage
    • 2 1/2 Cups of Trust
    • Several Months of Therapy
    • 4 Tablespoons of Faith
    • Work by the Load
    • A Bag of Knowledge
    • A Pinch of Reassurance
    • A Ton of Support
    • One Box of Memories
    • 2 Pints of Higher Power
    • A Handful of Friends
    • 1 Platter of Patience
    • Lots of time
    • A Plate of Mistakes
    • 1 Stack of Affirmations
    • Buckets of Tears
    • One Box of Crayons
    • A Bunch of Soft huggy things
    • 1 1/2 Gallons on Rewards
    • A good effort
    • 2 Big Bags of Understanding
  • Most important ingredient: LOVE!

Get Better Bears

My family has a little bit of a tradition that whenever someone in our family is ill, we give them a “Get Better Bear”.  My sister Dori kept this tradition alive by getting me a “GB Bear” for my stay in the hospital. A real comfort from home.

Then along the journey I received three other bears! Some people knew of the tradition, others didn’t, but it somehow fit. They all share a spot on my bedside table now keeping me company and watching over me. They, as well as all the prayers and cards I received, have helped in my recovery.

Besides, who can resist a fuzzy, cute little bear! It just makes you feel better!

Not to be confused with the “Care Bears” I made reference to in my first entry!

Little Progress

I was given another doppler scan and the results came back negative. As a result, then took out the last IV fluid Tuesday morning.

I showered, shaved and washed my hair for only the 2nd time in almost three weeks. Boy, did that feel good!! Still took a lot out of me, but I felt clean at least.

Then I checked out walking without the IV tree for the first time. At first, I was hesitant, but after a few rounds around the hallway, I felt a little more confident.

The Dr. is still saying I’ll be here until Thursday, possibly, still Friday. They may, or may not run one more scan on Wednesday. I’m not sure what will determine that or not.

While showering, I noticed my incision in my groin and I keep forgetting to ask the Dr. if I’m supposed to remove that protective tape or what.

My noisy, older room-mate left, so I had several hours of quiet. Now someone else is moving in. An  older lady again who was in a car accident last Friday in that horrible rain and wind storm. Broken ribs and a broken arm. Poor thing.

I feel pretty good. A little tired, slight headache, but overall pretty good.