The inability to focus my eyes is really getting to me. I'm lucky if I have a total of 30 minutes per day when I can see well enough to read--and I have to use those minutes judiciously, like opening important mail, paying bills online, etc. I'd RATHER be hanging out on this and other forums, but I have to prioritize.
My neighbor took my car in for its smog check, so that's all taken care of. She was very sweet about it and I was very grateful.
I'm trying to convince myself that I'm seeing some voluntary movement on the right side of my face. I strain and strain to make SOMETHING move! I honestly don't think anything's happening over there, I mean other than just following along as the left side moves. But I keep looking!
About my sister: She's ALWAYS been the one to get all the attention in the family. That's what she's used to. And since I lived thousands of miles away for many years--during ALL of the other illnesses/operations/hospitalizations/etc.--she carved a niche as "the sick one" in the family. When I first moved back home I couldn't BELIEVE how much she complains about every little thing--like allergies, which I have, too--many times worse than hers, and I NEVER complain. At family gatherings the discussion revolves around, "How are you feeling? I know you were SO SICK! Are your allergies better? Did your sore throat go away?" The first time I sat through one of those events, I just sat there thinking to myself, "*I* am the one who is sick...but I'm not saying a word. This is really weird."
Oh! This would be funny if it weren't so pathetic: She's TRYING to backpedal on the "you didn't have brain surgery" statement! My best friend has exchanged a few e-mails with her, and in one my sister actually said about it, "That was a joke!" Um, no, it was not a joke. Not when she said it to me and not when she said it to ALL the other people in our family (most of whom have reported back to me). So if she thinks she's going to get out of this by claiming it was a joke, she's out of luck. Each relative who told me about it said that when she told them I did NOT have brain surgery they had two thoughts: "Has she lost her mind?!" and "Why on earth is she trying to trivialize what her SISTER has gone through?"
I DID send that letter along with a stack of printouts explaining that it is brain surgery. I invited her to come to my next appointment with Dr Brackmann so she can tell the world's foremost authority on this type of brain tumor that it's not brain surgery. Surprisingly (wink, wink), I haven't heard back from her yet! I guess she doesn't want to humiliate the hell out of herself with her little "joke."
