The Sun is Out Again

After several gloomy, dark days here, we are again seeing the sun, and that is so nice. It's not exactly warm yet, but still my mom and I are bundling up a bit for a walk with the dog every day. I have picked out a birch tree to photograph each time, which is my designated "spring tree." Over the course of how ever many days we'll watch it bud and leaf out and that will officially seal the deal that spring has arrived. So far, not much has happened.

It is hard for me to know how I should be feeling after brain surgery. I am getting some energy back, but it's not an all day thing. Mornings are especially tough. I have a hard time waking early and staying awake. Today I was up by 8:30, but napping at 11am after doing the normal morning things. Falling asleep at night has been a challenge because my head hurts and it's hard to get comfortable. The incision does not hurt to touch, but the area around it is really tender and the top part of my shaved scalp area is so sensitive, especially at night. There are times any time of day that I get these burning feelings in that part of my head--and I wonder if that is just the nerve endings coming back to life (that part of my scalp has been pretty numb since surgery).

Other after-effects of surgery have been numbness (hard palate and upper gum, left side) and hearing disturbance on the left. I may have lost a smidge of hearing, but the main issue is a sense of being congested or like I have fluid in my ear. It's like an echo chamber when I talk sometimes. At my appointment to have my stitches out, I learned that nerves take 3-6 months to heal, so I have to be patient and hope these things improve. But still--I am having no shocks and that is still such a relief.

The plan for next week is to see my neurologist for the start of the weaning process from the anti-seizure medications. I'm envisioning the day I can throw away my pill box!