ANA Discussion Forum

General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: pswift00 on October 29, 2008, 08:58:45 am

Title: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: pswift00 on October 29, 2008, 08:58:45 am: A few life lessons I've learned in the past few months:

1) Contrary to popular belief, your eyeball will not pop out of your head if you don't shut your eyes while sneezing.

2) The folks who design hospital menus have a really sick sense of humor. Why else would they have served me pork medallions, au gratin potatoes, and collard greens the day after my surgery?

3) Post-surgical nausea is a FANTASTIC way to lose weight.

4) According to my wife, I look totally badass with a shaved head.

5) People are really, really nice to you when you get a brain tumor; even the people who really weren't all that friendly before.

6) Apparantly whistling requires that both sides of your mouth work. Eating a Big Mac is also much easier when both sides of your mouth work properly.

7) Chicks really do dig scars.

8 Having 'selective hearing' is a really good way to avoid difficult questions and awkward situations.

And finally,

8) Things are never as bad as they seem, nor are things ever as difficult or as scary as they appear. We are all much braver than we think. We should never, ever sweat the small stuff, and in the end, it's all small stuff.

Please add your own life lessons.
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: Tisha on October 29, 2008, 09:44:28 am: I think this is the first time I've laughed since I found out about my AN last week.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: leharner on October 29, 2008, 09:54:24 am: Thank you for the reminder about small stufff...I have forgotten that and allowed way too many crappy things at work to have an influence in my life lately.

Going to buy me a coffee mug...I have a brain tumor, what's your excuse?
Laura
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: EJTampa on October 29, 2008, 10:10:25 am: Quote from: pswift00 on October 29, 2008, 08:58:45 am
A few life lessons I've learned in the past few months:

8 Having 'selective hearing' is a really good way to avoid difficult questions and awkward situations.

I'm afraid my wife has already found a way around this one. She makes sure she tells me the "important" things in my "good" ear.

Thanks for the great list! Brought a smile to my face :)

Ernie
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: wendysig on October 29, 2008, 10:20:23 am: I have to agree with everything you said, plus:

1. I am stronger than I ever knew I was.

2. I am wiser than I knew I was.

3. You really can learn something new every day.

4. People I always thought would be there for me sometimes let me down.

5. People I had no expectatoins of supported me more than I would have ever thought.

6. I have learned the importance of putting myself first sometimes -- something I never used to do.

7. My faith in human nature has been restored.

8. I' leraning to be more patient

9. All of life is a journey - I'm a work in progress.

10. This experience has, ironically, changed my life for the better.

Wendy

P.S. I don't think I'd look all that great with a shaved head and luckily, the doctor spared me that particular look by shaving as little hair as possible. ;D
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: pswift00 on October 29, 2008, 10:40:28 am: Quote from: wendysig on October 29, 2008, 10:20:23 am
wn.

5. People I had no expectatoins of supported me more than I would have ever thought.

You are spot-on with that one.
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: lori67 on October 29, 2008, 10:50:09 am: P -

That is hysterical! Thanks for the laugh today! ;D

Not sure if this is a lesson, but it's definitely a plus - Facial paralysis means fewer wrinkles on the AN side - and it doesn't hurt to tweeze your eyebrows! :)

The selective hearing is also a good way to get a good night's sleep!

The "brain tumor excuse" is a good one to get out of social events you really don't want to go to. ;)

Lori
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: vjgfamily on October 29, 2008, 10:52:57 am: Now, when someone says, "It's not brain surgery", you can come up with all kinds of snappy responses!

There's no need to buy headphones, either. I did buy a nice set of Sennheiser ear buds. I use one of the buds in my left ear, and taped the other bud to the cord (to keep it from flapping around). I set the left/right channel bar all the way to the left to get all the sound. When I wear out the little speaker in the ear bud, now i've got a spare! Hopefully, I don't wear out my good ear, first.

Verl
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: pswift00 on October 29, 2008, 10:54:59 am: I think we can also all agree on the importance of having a positive attitude through the whole thing. Negativity is worse than an infection, and humor is better than penicillin. A lot easier to swallow, too.
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: Kaybo on October 29, 2008, 11:24:51 am: This is great list - thanks for the laugh!!
If you have a paralyzed face, it is easier to "keep a straight face" if you turn to that side!! ;D

K
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: TT on October 29, 2008, 11:43:43 am: I have greater neck mobility than I ever dreamed I'd have.

It never fails. I'm in a situation of where to sit at a crowded table. After careful planning, I always put my deaf side to the person who can't stop talking.
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: vjgfamily on October 29, 2008, 12:27:43 pm: TT,

When you've been a pain in the petunia as long as I have about seating arrangements, people learn to save the "correct" seat for you. Or at least they defer until I pick my seat (no jokes, here, please).

Thanks,
VERL

(Hi Verl... had to change your wording to "pain in the petunia".... although the word you chose was better, just not allowed here. Thanks for understanding. Young eyes view this website. Phyl)
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: Syl on October 29, 2008, 01:39:16 pm: A have some items to add:

1) The term "It's like riding a bike," has a different meaning now.
2) Having a phone conversation in a noisy environment is no longer a problem.
3) After my AN surgery, I thought I was in bad shape for not being able to stand on one foot with my eyes closed. My PT informed me that it's a challenge for most people.
4) Unlike many people, I enjoyed hearing the crickets at night.
5) Having a lazy eye is beneficial after AN surgery--I didn't get the double vision.

Syl
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: leapyrtwins on October 29, 2008, 08:54:05 pm: Quote from: pswift00 on October 29, 2008, 10:54:59 am
I think we can also all agree on the importance of having a positive attitude through the whole thing. Negativity is worse than an infection, and humor is better than penicillin.

Totally agree with that comment.

Also with Wendy's point of being stronger than I ever knew I was.

Jan
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: kenneth_k on October 30, 2008, 12:04:53 am: The lame duck maneouvre.........

Recovery after surgery is a brilliant excuse for bying a nintendo Wii with Wii Fit balance games :D My wife fell for it - anyway i didn't hear her say no.

Kenneth
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: vjgfamily on October 31, 2008, 02:44:42 pm: Years from now, when you tell people you had brain surgery, they will be in disbelief....because "you look normal".

or

they say, "that explains a lot"....but you would have to know me to understand that one.

VERL
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: Debbi on October 31, 2008, 05:35:22 pm: LOVE this string! I was having a kind of downer week and this just lifted my spirits and put a great big Half-smile on my face! Thanls!

I'd add that external noises at night are no longer a problem for me - I blissfully sleep right through everything.

Debbi
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: mrgarlic on November 01, 2008, 09:47:58 pm: Greetings, My pastor came up with this for me,,,,,

I am not the person I used to be.

I am becoming the person I am. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Larry
Title: Re: Lessons I've Learned From My AN Experience
Post by: Rivergirl on November 01, 2008, 10:29:53 pm: The most important one is that:

If you feel there is something wrong, keep searching until you find the answer, it may not be what you want but it is an explanation that you need.