Tag: recovery

The 5-Month Mark

Published on by heiditeaLeave a comment

Five months ago this morning, my brain aneurysm was clipped. After two nights in the hospital, I spent 8 weeks recovering then was back at work. The report so far is good and I think I’m doing well. I know I still have a ways to go and the upcoming months will begin to test my fatigue and stamina as work efforts will increase.

But, until that happens, the progress is good considering everything that could have happened. Fatigue, both mental and physical is still an issue and I cannot determine exactly which type of effort tires me out more. Grocery shopping is a chore. I used to go grocery shopping after work, but have yet to do that since January. Working a full day and driving 60 miles is still difficult and if I were to add groceries to that, I fear my attention to driving would be severely diminished. As a result I wait until the weekends, and usually give myself a day to rest after the work week on Saturday, then shop on Sundays. So far that seems to be working.

20140616-224105.jpgMy incision is basically invisible. I can feel where it is and it’s obvious where the incision was made due to where my hair was shaved, but it’s doing good. I’m still a little self-conscious of the dent at the side of my eye and the visible screws underneath my skin on the left side of my forehead, but I’d rather have that small issue than have to go through another rupture. There….so shut up about it Heidi!

20140616-224326.jpgNow, my hair growth from the shaved area is taking its sweet-ass time growing in, which is frustrating still. At 5 months it has grown a whopping 2″. At least it isn’t sticking up quite as bad as it had and I can finally dry it so it lays flat. Progress, but still weird to deal with. My next cut may be short, with some color. I hate my hair short, but it’ll grow back (maybe!).

Bending over too much and lifting heavy things are exhausting and I think…THINK the feeling in my scalp is finally starting to come back. The only reason I’m starting to think that is that my scalp is hurting now. It’s not an ache-type of pain, but if I scratch, touch, or brush that part of my scalp where the skin was peeled back, it feels tender and almost like little needles, lightly pricking my head. I’m hoping that feeling is all of the nerves reconnecting where they were cut. It was a large area that was cut for the incision and peeled back, so there is a lot of reconnection that needs to occur.

I’ve been told by two doctors that it will probably take a good year before I feel back to “normal”, whatever normal is now. So that means a tiring fall and winter. Goody! But I’m still here.

The Old Two-Day Meeting Test

Published on by heiditea1 Comment

Well, nothing like an hour and a half drive and two full days of meetings to test one’s fatigue and stamina!

I had to attend a two day conference where just getting there was a first test. Driving an hour and a half away was the longest I have driven along since my surgery. It’s an easy drive, but one must concentrate on staying focused while driving. I did…I arrived…I was tired. I would have preferred to close my eyes for 15 minutes, but the agenda would wait for no one.

Paying attention, listening, interacting, taken notes, and just plain old thinking took their toll on me both days. We have very few meaningful breaks where I could rest properly and one day we worked through lunch while we ate, so I had not chance to leave and rest. I made the drive home and promptly just wanted to settle into a hot tub and soak my tension away – which I did!

I don’t expect anyone to understand what I’m going through and I certainly hope no one thought I was bored or falling asleep those few times I actually had to close my eyes during the meetings, but I had to take care of ME. I’m only a little over four months about. I may look fine, but I still have my days and times when it’s a struggle.

Well, at least I look better than I did four months ago! 🙂