My vision is improving every day, but it may be months before I have it all back yet. I also have a few other neuromuscular deficits related to the surgery and swelling. For instance, I can't touch my left thumb to my left little finger. But we've got some exercises which should take care of things like that with time.
I got my computer monitor set to display things in the largest available type, and was able to sort of read most of my email yesterday. Even responded to a few messages. But it is really hard and exhausting. I have to do all my typing with my eyes closed, so am probably making a lot of mistakes.
Someone asked about the staple marks in the back of my head. Well, I don't look so much like I have a zipper any more. Or so they say. In fact, I understand that the shaved s pots, and the other areas where my hair has fallen out (surgery stress), are more noticeable than the incision scar.
For those wondering, the incision runs from the top of my head, right at the back, to just above my shoulders. The right side of the top and back of my head is smooth and hard, and tingling. The left side is its normal bumpy self, with a bit of a depression toward the middle. It feels like I may have a metal cap on the right side under the scalp. Most of the left side is numb, because they had to separate the scalp from the nerves underneath. It seems like some feeling is returning to the skin.. I do feel like I have a broken bone in my head, but it isn't too bad.
I don't remember hardly anything about my first 4 days in the hospital. I remeber, on the morning of the surgery, they doctor saying he was going to start my IV, and would put something in it to help me relax and relieve anxiety. I was going to tell him that wasn't necessary, since I was pretty calm, but my father started to say something. Then, suddenly, a doctor was telling me that the surgery had lasted 11 hours, that they had gotten all the avm taken care of, and I was OK. I felt a great sense of relief and satisfaction, and don't recall another thing for 3 days. So I was actually shocked yesterday to read that I was blind when I woke up. No wonder the surgeon seemed down a few days later. I remembrer trying to cheer HIM up!
A few days into my hospital stay, a group of 4 doctors came marching into my room. One introduced himself, and said the surgeon had called them in when he finished, to see if he needed to do any more work. They all agreed that there was no more to do. Then had called in the radiologists to do a blood flow study. I guess that went well, too.
I am impressed that Dr. MacDonald worked on me all day, until he was literally about to drop from exhaustion. Then he was really down because he wasn't sure he had done all he could, and that I was blind. That's dedication! And I am extremely grateful to all the people who exercised their God-given talents on my behalf. How lucky can a guy be?
I got someone to drive me to the pharmacy and gocery store yesterday. I got a heating pad, among other things, and tried some heat on my neck last night. The muscles around the incision have been extremely sore, cramping, and have been causing a lot of headaches. After 10 minutes of heat, the cramps and headache went away for the first time since the surgery, and I slept for nearly 12 hours last night. I'm still trying to get over the too-much sleep hang over. : )
With the help of a cane, I can walk a few blocks by myself now. But I tire very easily. It's amazing how much 15 hours of anesthesia, and a week flat on your back in the hospital, will take out of you. It's also amazing how having your brain shoved and tugged around can have such strange impacts on the way your body functions. Fortunately, my memory and cognitive functions weren't affected. By the way, what were we talking about here? Who are you, and what time is it?
I just learned today that, when I'm sitting in my recliner, I'm facing east, not north. Duh! I knew that. So why did I keep insisting that State Street was in front of me? I'm positive someone rotated the building 90 degress clockwise. That's the only possible explanation! (Big grin here)
I appreciate all the email and messages in the guest book. The kids read the messages to me just over a week ago. It meant so much! Even if I didn't know who everyone was.
I think we are going to be taking the guest book off line shortly. Since I can read the amail some now, we'll substitute an email link. I also want to start developing the web page into more of a suport resource for people needing information on AVM's. There's not a lot of good info out there that's easy to find, and it seems that most of my relatives still don't understand the difference between an aneurism and an avm. I've got a good chance to do some education here, and I will try to develope it as I'm able.
I'm coming out of the experience with some funny and inspirational stories. I'll try to get some of these written up as time goes by. Later on, I'll tell you how a minute in the hospital is like a year any where else. And about how, when the physical therapist came to my room, I had him hold my arm and steer me to the hospital gift shop, so I could buy a calling card. Robe flapping open in the back and all. Must have been a crazy sight. It took me days to figure out why the PT seemed so amused. My mind was totally focused on my mission. I was so weak I almost had to be carried back to bed. And we never did find that calling card until I got home.
I miss not working. It may be as long as a year before I can start looking for a new job. I REALLLY miss driving. I love having the kids around, but miss interacting with other people. I'm kind of in a state of being on hold -- can't read much for more than a few minutes (and find it exhausting), not enough energy to get out and do something, like walk along the green belt, and not comfortable enough to sleep soundly. Listening to the tv isn't always my thing, either. But that's all part of the recovery process, and I'm glad to be walking down that road at a reasonable clip. (OK, YOU try working on the netaphors with your neck cramping!) (another grin)
This has been an exhausting writing session, so I will close with a big thanks to everyone. Feel free to send a SHORT email. kegarner@yahoo.com
The kids took me to the Boise River Festival yesterday. Too much too soon, but fun.
Some of you are asking for an address to send something to. Please send me an email directly requesting the information. I don't like to be too public on the internet. :-)
I'm sleeping well at night now.
The doctor got the results back from the Dilantin blood test. The levels of the medication in my blood are really low. Although I haven't had any problem with siezures, I can tell that the medicine smoothes out my brain function. I'm told it's supposed to smooth the brain waves in an irritated brain, and it seems to do just that. But I'm not real thrilled about having to nearly double the dose.
My daughter told me that while I was in the hospital, before I started to remember much, I had trouble controlling my temperature. When I got hot, I would throw off EVERYTHING. Now I understand why the nurses kept mentioning something about modesty all the time. If you don't know me, I'm super conservative and ultra modest in general. That's what makes this story so funny. It has to be funny, because there's nothing I can do but laugh about it!
At some point in the near future we're going to break this file into weekly segments. That way you won't have to contend with such a large downlad. I'll try to write something at least twice a week. If you have any questions about AVM's, or anything else I can answer, click on the email link from the home page. Also, if you haven't read the early update scection that my daughter wrote, you might want to check that out. It really touched me.