Hello all,
I haven't posted for a while, but continue to come and read the boards. I want to give an update on Ken's progress. It has been 5 1/2 months since his surgery and he is doing relatively well. Back to work since the beginning of November after three months of leave. Transitioning back was tough, but he made it through the normal workday and went to sleep very early those first couple of weeks. Prior to surgery, he worked crazy long hours, but now he is doing a normal day. Getting back to work, he noticed some memory issues related to names and using computer programs, the weakness in his writing hand makes it more difficult to keyboard accurately and quickly, and taking notes in meetings is slower and less legible. Looking back he thinks another month or two of leave might have been beneficial, but things are going OK.
So far there hasn't been any improvement with his face. Last appointment, the doctor felt there was more tone on the right side, but no signs of movement. We went to Long Island before Thanksgiving for an appointment with a facial therapist and Ken does the recommended exercises. The eye is a constant problem. He continues to use drops throughout the day and ointment and Glad Press & Seal at night. Since the weather has been cold, I learned that the eyelid with the weight gets very cold. I never would have thought of that! We are both hopeful that there will be some improvement in his facial function in the next few months.
His balance is better, but still somewhat wobbly when turning his head suddenly or making sharp turns while walking. Ken is pretty steady on his feet and still uses a cane. Thankfully there haven't been any falls, but it is something I worry about. He is back to his sporadic yoga practice and finds it helpful. I wish he would practice more.
Over the past few months, he usually wakes up with a headache. Most days it recedes or goes away after his morning analgesic cocktail, coffee and juice! Tinnitus has also cropped up occasionally, usually at night. He is still adjusting to being SSD. He has the Cross hearing aids and they do help when he wears them, but he doesn't wear them a lot. The SoundBite sounds promising and we are following the stories about it. At this time, Ken isn't willing to consider the BAHA.
So that's about it for now. Another thank you for all the support and advice we have gotten here.
Miranda
