Hi Everyone,
January 6th will mark my 6 month anniversary. I will be working that day and won't have time to update, and I figure a few days won't change my report.
I have returned to work full time after a gradual re-entry. I am back on platoon which, for the civilians in the crowd, means that I am back out on the road leading a team of 13 police officers 4 days on, 4 days off. I'm loving it.
I have really no residual effects that are worth complaining about. The loss of hearing doesn't seem to affect my ability to perform as a police officer, just the number of times I have to ask people to repeat themselves. I have started training my dispatchers to make sure if there is a call the think I should have responded that I was monitoring, to ask me if I heard it.
Night shifts are tiring, but I haven't worked a full night shift yet. I have left at 3-4 am. We shall see but I doubt it will be any different than the last time I worked a full night shift 5 years ago. :-)))
Driving at night is a bit of a challenge. The left eye is dry so there appears to be a film over it at night. I have a follow up with my eye surgeon to check the amount of moisture my eye is getting. I might just need old girl glasses ;-)
Balance issues...non existent, however a funny story for y'all. Last night I went to a call for suspicious activity at an abandoned house. On New Year's day we had record warm temps of +10C. Then overnight the temps dropped and there was a flash freeze. Last night we had beautiful light flurries. So pretty. I was walking along talking to the dispatcher on the radio when bam...down I went. Apparently I was in the middle for a wet lawn that had frozen over with big patches of ice covered in snow. It appears I was actually still keying my microphone because after I got up I got this cute message on the radio.. apparently they recorded whatever I said as I was on my way down and were all having a chuckle over it.
Headaches; none.
Physical fitness: I really have slacked off the past two months. The last work out I did was Nov 26th, but even that was a spontaneous work out that was one of maybe 5 in November. I have a plan to get back at it, and I've implemented that today.
So how to I feel 6 months later. Grateful, happy, content, sometimes I forget I even had this blasted tumour. I have changed my outlook on life. I used to think I wanted to be a police officer forever...sometimes now I wonder. I feel like I dodged a bullet and maybe I should be looking for change. And then I say perhaps I should continue to be the best cop I can just because I did get a second chance..who knows what the future holds. I am so pleased to have the opportunity to be able to think of such things.
I would do it all over again if I had to, but I don't wish it on anyone. For those still facing surgery or watch and wait, fear not. You can and will make it.
I still drop by almost every day, but that will likely slow down simply because 4 12 hour days in a row leave little time for surfing...but I'm still here to help if anyone needs it.
all the best kids!
Nikki
