Hi, everyone.
Surgery was last Friday, and this week has been a bit blurry. We arrived home from the hospital the night before last, I think. Lots of drugs and naps since the surgery, and not a lot of clear thinking. I have been able to read a little today and thank you all for your lovely thoughts.
Currently, my head shape isn’t quite right, with lumps and indentations in various parts that used to be normal. My black eyes are fading, which should look less zombie-like, so that’s nice. I’m pretty sore when medication begins to wear off, and have a variety of numb or painful bits on the left hand side of my head, along with an impressive array of staples or stitches (can’t really tell which are which) reaching from the middle part on top to the occipital bone behind my ear in back, and in front of my ear curving up to my forehead up front.
The good news is that my left eye can turn left pretty well, which wasn’t certain, and I’ve been able to smile , raise my eyebrows, and say things with reasonable success.
The nurses and physicians at UWMC were extremely nice and capable, and we’ll have a better idea in the next week or so exactly how much tumor the neurosurgeon was able to remove and what kind it is. The surgical team believes pretty solidly that it was chondrosarcoma and they managed to remove 95% or thereabouts. When the official lab results come back, probably on Friday, if I can think more effectively by then, we’ll have to decide whether to head back in for another round of surgical removal, give proton radiation therapy a try, all of the above, or just wait and see what happens.
For the moment, I’m having challenges just keeping track of the beginning of a sentence by the time I’ve reached the end. Drugs are both very helpful for avoiding all sorts of head injury pain, and also not especially helpful for thinking clearly.
On the plus side, my sweet hubby has been wonderful, and it’s been lovely to see my parents, and rumor has it your head stops hurting a bit after the first few weeks, which should make it easier to figure out what happens next.
Take it easy, everyone, and thank you for your good wishes.
Thank you for the update! I am so happy to hear you are home now. Love and hugs from The LaBarre’s!
They sent me home pretty quickly, which is a good sign. They generally only do that if you haven’t had any post-op complications. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the lumpiness and head pain to subside. That part is still in progress…
Your great support system affords you the luxury of taking a mental vacation as your body recovers and the pain subsides. Focus on getting better and the rest will follow.
I surpassed the 1 month mark from my surgery yesterday and am sending positive vibes your way.
Ray
Ray! Now I’ve passed the one month mark, too – I hope you are doing well and would love to hear how your recovery is progressing!
Ha! You write better than Dean already! We are so glad to hear you are home and recovering. Slow n’ steady wins the race. Aloha Dean and Susan
If slow n’ steady wins the race, then I’m totally owning that race! lol
Thank you for the wonderful update. You have been our thoughts for so long and Robin is probably tired of me asking daily if he’s heard anything. I hope each day is better than the next as far as the pain goes and, of course, we hope the Docs have good news for you at your next appointment. Our best to you and Abe.
Judi, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your kindness and generosity. Thank you, and I hope to speak with you soon.
At last you are on the mend! Thanks be to God(who I will keep bugging until you are much more improved) things are working out as good as they seem to be.
Your sole task now is to assist your body fix itself. It is fully capable of doing this part by itself. By doing nothing to slow the healing process down so what ever the doctors tells you to do, do it. All else can wait as it is just not that important.
Happily, the doctors have made this part easy by providing pretty straightforward instructions. I’ll be curious about how everything continues to progress and how long it will take to settle in to a “new normal”.
Denise, how wonderful to see an update from you. I’ve read your whole blog from beginning to end and can’t wait to see the next chapters in your life post-surgery and on the road to recovery. Lots of love to you and Abe. -Rusty (Rob’s brother)
Rusty! It’s great to hear from you! I remember you very fondly. Your wedding photos on Facebook were lovely – I was so happy for you. I hope things are continuing to go well for you in lovely Chicago. Thank you so much for your post. The fact that you’ve read all the content makes me feel especially impressed with both your kindness and your tolerance for boredom. lol
I am ecstatic that I got to read your most current post. That is a great sign that you are well, and that Abe has done his great duty of loving husband and partner! Hats off to you for your bravery and willingness to share your experiences with others. I am very glad that I can say I know you! Best wishes for the most speedy of recoveries!
Oh, Ben – that’s a super sweet thing to say. Thank you!
Abe’s been amazing, as always. He’s my hero.