Four Weeks Post brain surgery

[fruzicle]

I am now stating that my recovery has reached a point where it is less obvious. I assume and hope that improvements are still occurring. My walking is steady, my speech is perfect. My son and I walk about a mile nearly every day, either up a very steep hill or on a trail.

It's harder to tell if my problem solving abilities are steadily improving. I do the crossword puzzle in the newspaper every day and at least I can observe how much of it I get done. That percentage has increased to the point where I'm able to do all but perhaps one block of it. Note: this is not the New York Times crosswords, but an easier one. It is significantly harder than what they label "easy" crosswords. I do know that I am shying away from the harder Sudoku puzzles. But then I had kind of made a conscious choice to stick with the more enjoyable, easier ones a while back.(BTS-- before tumor surgery) My ability to solve operating-the-smart- phone and its operational dilemmas is as bad as ever. But note, this is not something I ever was any good at. I think it's an age thing. I also am very aware that my stamina, i.e. strength, needs a lot of work.

I have two major bugaboos presently. One is I'm not sure I should be driving. That wasn't a problem as long as my son Kris was here because he became my chauffeur. But he left today for about a week in the bay area for a job interview. I'm now faced with feeling pretty good but feeling reluctant to drive. I am being medicated against seizures. The thought of having a seizure while driving is somewhat daunting. Nobody ever told me not to drive. I'm going to have to ask my doctor, but he's a very busy guy who I haven't seen since before my surgery 4 weeks ago.

Bugaboo #2 is I've had a continuing problem with insomnia. Fortunately, all the time I am sleeping, the sleep has been high quality. The last two nights I even had real dreams. But I typically lie awake for 2 - 3 hours before falling asleep and also after being awakened from a deep sleep at 3 in the morning. To improve my sleep I have tried to make sure that I walk every day, have cut out all caffeine, and even taken a benedryl before bed. I decided the benedryl actually wasn't working, or if it is, it only kicks in about 6 hours after I take it. Yesterday I took one benedryl at about 3 in the afternoon and another one at 10 p.m. before bed. That worked pretty well. I really don't want to become dependant on drugs for sleep or anything.

The one positive (?) note from all my insomnia is that I have had time to ponder at length (in the middle of the night!) many topics. A few notes from that department which we will title Middle of the Night and other​ Issues

1. I think we all feel slightly sorry for everyone who lived in past centuries. I now feel more like they probably generally enjoyed their lives as much as we do ours. The big advantage to living now is the amazing advances that have been made in medical care. People have undoubtedly been having the same meningiomas (benign brain tumor) that I had for millennia. The difference, of course, is that they either didn't know they had it, or couldn't do anything about it. Though I was virtually symptom free, the danger with these is that they grow until they are pushing healthy brain tissue way over until it is dangerously cramped. We did read that the first successful meningioma surgery was done around 1835. That was before the use of anaesthetic and before the awareness of antiseptic procedure. So some poor guy had his skull cut open without anaethesia and under non-sterile conditions. Yikes! Another scary thought: people in less developed parts of the world still face this disadvantage. That may well include people in first world countries whose doctors are not as skilled as those we have in Orange County, California.


2. The worst I ever lay awake was the two nights after the surgery. I finally found that the only thing that would ease my intense misery was mentally repeating the Jewish prayers we say at school. I later told a home health care person who asked my religious faith that I was Jewish. I really had wanted a rabbi to come visit me the next morning in the hospital. I still don't feel overwhelmingly religious, but I certainly can attest to the value of repetitious, soothing sayings. I imagine it is the same for Buddhists or reciting the rosary, or anything along those lines.


3. One of my doctors was a parent from the school I work at! We wouldn't have known that except that my husband was wearing my school staff sweatshirt when this guy walked in.


4. One of my sons is now in beginning stages of dating one of my nurses. (!) As soon as I met her, I felt she was a keeper. Let's hope they have a good run!


5. I must mention that the families of our Jewish school have outdone themselves in providing food for our family. Lots of chicken and even more rice. Amazing.

I will quit writing now before I put you to sleep. (Oooh, maybe that's what I need!)

But it bears repeating that I'm incredibly thankful for having retained (apparently) all my skills.

Until next time,  Julie

P.S. My hair is now about 1/2 inch long on top of my head. It is much shorter on the back of my head, which contradicts what I've always claimed about which part of my head grows hair the fastest.. I have an approximately 1/2 inch wide naked scar that goes backward from the midline of my hairline, curves back about 3 inches, and curves back downward to just above my left ear. If I get a photo, I will post that behind a cut. Stay tuned!

 

Comments

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

Personally, I found repeating prayers far more helpful than the "panting" they tried to encourage when I was in labor.
So I think it is quite possibly universal for all believers, no matter which faith you practice.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I really think it has to do with transporting yourself to another place. When I was in labor, I zeroed in on a detail in a picture of a village that someone else had posted there. When I was repeating familiar words in the Jewish prayer, I was not letting my mind run free, I was swimming with the familiar words. I was also enjoying an image of someone I know well and appreciate from my school who always sings these words to our assembled students-as they join him.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

They did ask me about claustrophobia before I had the MRI. I didn't think it would bother me, but then, you never know. I think I was helped through that because they were only looking at my head. The rest of my body extended beyond the machine. The second time it was a different machine and they put earphones on me and let me select some music I liked.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Kris's interests are divided between seeking something in the diplomacy field, continuing his fairly extensive experience in sailing, and extending his experience in bee science. Since the diplomacy field has absolutely zero opportunities for a guy with just a bachelor's degree, there being no money in tallship sailing, and the door to getting into a merchant marine academy apparently closed to him, he's pursuing opportunities related to insects. This interview is with San Mateo Vector control.

I see it as a good option.
1, it's probably attainable
2, it will enhance his knowledge of mosquito control.
3 it is good background should he get more opportunities to go back to Africa (as he has done in the past.) In Africa, knowledge of beekeeping helps the people there earn money. Knowledge of mosquito control would aid them in fighting malaria.

Finally, getting over to Africa again could well help him get into international business/education/diplomacy.

Besides, he really does love to learn and write about insects.

[that.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the report. I am so happy to hear that you are feeling yourself. It sounds like you have a great attitude toward recovery.

I too often think about health and medicine in earlier times. I have neuralgia, which, without effective pain medication (which I can get easily over the counter) my life would be a living hell every so often. If I lived in Victorian England, I'd be an opium addict.

Be well. Keep us posted.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

It has crossed my mind more than once that if I had lived in a time or place where this medical treatment were not available, I would probably have died and no one would ever have suspected the true cause. I think they might have surmised that I simply had had a stroke.

[bensdiorama.livejournal.com]

...until they did the autopsy -- and found an orange in the wrong place. Then they would have wondered about how oranges get there, and maybe done some citrus research? I've been reading "The Greater Journey", about rich and ambitious Americans heading to Paris in the second quarter of the 1800s, a big part of which was to study medicine. It was the dawn of a new age, including firsts in anesthesia among other things.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I will. Good luck with your Kazakstan life! (I know there's an "H" in there somewhere.)

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

So glad to read an update from you! Continued love!

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Sometimes I think all us LJers are as supportive (or more) as our local friends.

[bensdiorama.livejournal.com]

My often but not always successful antidote to insomnia is to listen to Garrison Kiellor podcasts. I know all the first half of the stories much better than the second halves, so in other words ...it works! (If my Nano croaked, I'd have to immediately go get another one.) Oh, and as mentioned, i agree, exercise (exhaustion) is really helpful for that too.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

I am also extremely skeptical about coffee. Sure you have it in the morning, but I think its waking properties stay with you throughout the following 24 hours. If you drink it strong, or repeatedly, you're doomed. I have just recently discovered that there is something missing in flavor from decaf coffee, however. I may therefore be doomed tonight. It might be a two benedryl night!