A year ago today I was in a 12 hour surgery. It was probably one of the longest days in our family life. Not for me really, since I don't remember much other than the beginning and end of it. But for Mark, my parents, family and friends, it was a long day. A year and a day ago, now that was a long and hard day for me!
I don't think I will ever forget the details from the Spring of 2010, being diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, evaluating and deciding on a treatment plan, and moving ahead with surgery and recovery. It is certainly not an experience I wish on anyone else, or one that I want to go through again, but it is now a part of my history. I am thankful for the skill of the doctors and medical team that treated me. I am thankful for the unending support that not only I received, but that my family received. I am thankful for Mom and Red who took care of all of us. I am thankful for Mark, that he took care of me in so many ways. I am thankful for my daughters and that I can hug them, play with them, love them, and be loved by them. I am so thankful to be alive and well!
There are still two things that pose challenges. My facial nerve has still not fully recovered, which means that I don't have full movement on the right side of my face. Not quite the same smile, my right eye doesn't blink normally, I can't wrinkle that side of my forehead one bit (cheaper than botox, right?). The eye in particular is annoying, but manageable. People tell me almost daily how it has improved, but I am a results oriented kind of gal, and I want it all and I want it now! A lesson in patience. Having lost the hearing on my right side is not as dramatic as I expected, in that I still hear things, they sound the same. But what I hear is different - for example what would have been background noise (like running water or a strong wind) in the past can often obscure the clarity of what I want to hear (like a conversation). I have learned, and so has Mark and friends, to favor my "good side." I sit at "strategic" locations. And I have a pretty good excuse not to hear conversations people are trying to have with me from the other side of the house.
I go back to see Dr. Gantz in September for an MRI, what will be my new "baseline." The next check would be in another 4 years. I continue to see an ophthalmologist on a fairly regular basis. I may also talk to a different doctor (at the recommendation of Dr. Gantz) who specializes in facial nerve related "injuries" and therapy. Unfortunately, she is in Madison, WI!
I couldn't let today go by without a little note, more to myself than anyone else, that despite the challenges of the last year, life is still pretty good. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my family, followed along the journey, and are my friends. You all truly make me happy every day!
