Category: Work

Back At It (sort of)

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

I was back at work on Friday. Dave offered to take me in and pick me up, so I took him up on that offer. I could have done the drive in, but not the 30 mile drive back home after working all day.

The different setting took some getting used to and my office had been cleaned, so many things weren’t in the same place, but it felt good to get back to some kind of normalcy. It turned out to be a busier day than I was expecting, which was good and bad. It made the day go by very quickly, but I didn’t give myself enough breaks, so by mid-afternoon I was wiped out. I forget I need to pace myself and listen to my body after any
kind of a brain procedure. Simple things will take a lot of out of me for a time yet.

Dave arrived about a half an hour early and I promptly left. I kept yawning about every 30 seconds on the drive home. Poor Dave. Not much fun for him.

I was a zombie when we got home. I had planned on making dinner, but Dave talked me into laying down and resting. Of course I immediately fell asleep, which I knew I would. I woke up at 7:00 then was back into bed around 9 or so. Yep….the fatigue is alive and well. Frustrating, but it’s all a part of it.

Saturday I felt okay, but was still tired. I took two naps throughout the day, but that’s okay. I needed them….my mind and body needed them. I took a big step on Friday flying right back into work full-time like that. We’ll see how I do next week.

I want to sow some seeds, but just don’t have the energy right now. And I keep forgetting I have to do this all over again the end of April when I have the coiling done. Yippee!

Another

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

It was very nice…a coworker asked me how I was doing. I said “Fine”. Then she said “No, Heidi…HOW ARE YOU FEELING?”. LOL She obviously meant the post-annie recovery. I haven’t been asked that question by anyone at work in so long, it threw me.

I informed her I was doing great. She asked about after effects and I explained the fatigue and the brain fatigue and some limitations on physical activities, but that considering what could have happened, I’m doing great. She asked if it changed my life at all…well, absolutely! I value my time AWAY from work far more than I valued my time at work and that work is not the most important thing in my life. My LIFE is the most important thing. Everyone in the lunchroom who overheard it was nodding.

Still Limits

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

Well, Friday at work I had a five hour meeting with no real lunch break. I can’t do that anymore I have learned. Wow, was I beat, tired and fried afterwards. The brain fatigue was quite evident. Then after getting my grocery list together once I got home from work, my head starting hurting…right where the annie is/was.

Saturday, we decorated the Xmas tree. It took me a long time to get going, but once I did I got into it and again, probably did too much at one time. Nothing like I was last year however when I had to stop every 10 minutes to take a break and drink some water. Things were still “settling” last year but I find that bending over still bothers me..at least doing it too quickly…or doing it too quickly after a day with a five hour meeting! LOL

The tree looks beautiful and has many more ornaments on it than it did last year due to my sluggishness at that time. I’m just happy to be here for another Christmas!

Delayed Reaction?

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

It’s interesting. I went through the week leading up to my 1-year anniversary, a little apprehensive, certainly reflecting on the past year and the same time last year, and looking forward to getting on with life.

However, in the days and week following THE day, I’ve had very odd feelings. I’m unable to fully explain them…I wish I could. As I type this, I’m numbering page files for the final catalog files to send to the printer tomorrow. I never got to do that last year…I was in the neuro ward. I’m running across emails that I sent out just a day or two before the annie ruptured last year…and I’m thinking about how I sat at my computer, overly stressed, overly tired and completely unaware of what was going to happen the next morning. I’m trying to remember if I was experiencing any headaches or neck aches or eyes aches, but I can’t. And that just seemed to come with the territory while working on the catalog anyway, so I probably
wouldn’t have thought much of it at the time.

I almost started crying….while checking page numbers! LOL How add is that. I didn’t cry on the anniversary. I didn’t cry when speaking to my sister about her experiences last year, nor when Dave speaks of what happened last year. I certainly start to feel emotional, but isn’t it odd that a solitary, technical, unemotional task like numbering files almost got me! LOL Very strange.

I’m just glad I survived this year’s catalog. It was just my main goal to see if I could do it again, but then all hell broke lose at work with people critical to the process leaving, then the same old stressful crap that’s always associated with the catalog was there, only magnified because I’m just not able to work as quickly or as efficiently. BUT…I did it. That’s a HUGE accomplishment, so kudos to me!