I'm a POSTIE~~ WOOT! WOOT!

[skamper]

 
Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and prayers this last week.  It helped my family and I very much~~

So, I'm 11 days post sugery, I'm feeling pretty good!!  I had surgery on April 2nd and went home on Tuesday the 6th.  I was very greatful to get home to my own bed and not be awoken every hour!  The doctors, nurses, and the hospital did awesome, no complaints on anything!

Bill said my surgery was about 6 hours.  They left about 5% of the tumor in there as to not damage bu facial muscle.  They killed the blood supply or however that works so they are thinking it won't regrow.  They did MRI the next day after surgery and said it all looked great.  I have very slight droopiness on my right lip right now but they think that will come back.  My eye shuts all the way but I still need drops to keep it from drying out.  My head and incision sites hurt like a d***ens.  They used glue, no staples or sticthes.

I'm having a horrible time trying to type right now, everything I'm typing is coming up wrong.  Is this normal?  It's like a can't spell all of a sudden, I'm very frustrated at the moment~ Sorry~
I will post more when I can, thanks again for the prayers and well wishes.

I'm A Postie~
Susan

[leapyrtwins]

I'm having a horrible time trying to type right now, everything I'm typing is coming up wrong.  Is this normal?  It's like a can't spell all of a sudden, I'm very frustrated at the moment~

This is very common.

Congratulations on your postie status! 

Sorry to hear about the headaches - some get them post op, some don't - hope you find relief very soon.

Get some rest,

Jan

[tenai98]

Congrats on becoming a posite
JO

[msmaggie]

Welcome aboard, postie!  I know you are glad to be home and are anxious to have things back to whatever passes for normal.
Things may not "feel" normal for a bit, so give yourself time to adjust to your body's healing rate.  It is a little bit different for each of us, but it sounds like you are on the right path.  The headaches usually ease up, but again, that varies among posties.  I went through a headachey phase that gradually went away, but I still get visited by some doozies every once in a while, depending on barometric pressures.

Priscilla

[Debbi]

Yay!! Good for you!  If you got the fat graft, you can claim Postie-Fatty status, too!  The jumbled words is pretty common and should go away fairly soon. 

Debbi (fellow postie-fatty)

[alicia]

This is definitely something to celebrate!  Things will all come back with time!  In just a short time you will be able to enjoy this down time!  A

[kenneth_k]

Being a postie is not so bad. Actually, it is something to celebrate 

I wish you the best.

Kenneth

[james e]

Susan,

I have been looking forward to your posting knowing you were having surgery right after mine. It is really great to know you did so well. It took me about two weeks to really get my feet back under me. I never had any headaches, and my incision never hurt, but my ear felt full all the time, and I had some unusual tinnitus. As the swelling went down, the fulness reduced by quite a bit, and the tinnitus went back to its normal cricket sound. I had a REALLY hard time typing what I was thinking, so I think you are still under the influence of some steroids, etc. One strange thing happened to me. I am no cry baby, but for about a week after surgery, I would just start crying...no reason...and it really felt good. Don't worry about how you feel right now. Every day you will notice some changes, some small, some big, but you are well on your way to a full recovery. I am really happy for you and Bill.

James

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Postie Susan ~

Congratulations!  You seem to be recovering at a normal pace and your issues are not at all uncommon and should prove to be transitory.  I had a fabulous recovery but it took me well over a week to begin to feel anything close to normal.  I was typing messages on these forums within a day of my release from the hospital but had a lot of typos, which are rare for me, now.  As everyone stated: it passes.  Just relax, let your body heal and recover and before you realize it, you'll be venturing back into your normal lifestyle - with aplomb, no doubt.     

Jim

[jaylogs]

This is a very common theme with all of us posties...impatience! There's just so much stimuli out there that our poor brains are trying to comprehend that these things will happen, and do! So try not to overdo things and let yourself heal!  Take care!
Jay

[moe]

Hi Susan,
Congrats on making it to the other side. You are doing fabulous for 11 days post surgery. And the part about

They used glue, no staples or sticthes.

Well that's a new one! Crazy glue sure does come in handy in the OR (or whatever it was they used).

Take it slow and steady. You'll do great.  At least 6 weeks to get back to a "new normal" but it did take me longer.

Rests, naps, walks. Enjoy being pampered while you can!

Cheers,
Maureen

[Vivian B.]

Hi Susan,

Keep up the good recovery. Sounds like you had a successful surgery and you will get better day by day.

Vivian

[Lizard]

Welcome to the other side, its great to be a postie!

[skamper]

I can't believe it's been two weeks down already!  I'm just glad it's over and done with.  I know I have a lot of time to heal and get back to what ever my "new normal" will be, which I look forward too.
The doctor's say they left 5% of the tumor in there as to not damage my facial nerve, they cut off the blood supply to it in hopes of no new growth.
My right eye seems to be shutting just fine, I can't squeeze it all the way shut, but if can at least shut.  I have to use fake tears during the day and ointment in it at night.
I have very little if any paralyse to my face.  The right side of my smile it a little droopy but doctors are hoping it will come back with time.  My tongue is still a little numb and I still have problems when eating.  I just hope all that will get better, there's only so much jello and fruit I can eat!
I'm pretty sure the surgery took most if not all my hearing.  That has been the hardest adjustment so far.  If I lay on my left side, I don't hear much of anything around the house.  If there's too much noise around me, I start to go in a panic mode and need to get away.  They say I will get used to it, but right now, it's really tough.  I'm hoping they will do another hearing test at my first check up to see what I actually lost.  Say to think I lost, but I'm just glad I'm doing well.
I haven't really looked at incision at all and I can't stand touching it.  When I shampoo my hair, I feel like a could puke.  It just grosses me out.  They shaved a little more than I thought, I might need to get a new haircut to straighten it out.  Still so strange that I have no stitches or staples, just glue.  I do a one stitch in my back from the lumbar drain.  Even that grosses me out when I accidently touch it.  I'm such a wuss.
Well, I better get ready for bed, Ali has her last dance competition in the morning.  Wish I could go but I know I just don't have the energy to make it.  Maybe after a few laps around the block and I can start to get my strength back.
Thanks again to everyone for all the thoughts and prayers.  All the support and help from you all has been awesome.
Susan

[Cheryl R]

Susan,   Sounds like you are having the usual recovery and doing well but I know that first 2 weeks makes one wonder when I am going to get doing better.      There can be alot of weird feelings which do in time go away or lessen for most of us so we do adjust!    Hopefully your facial issues will improve too but one never knows how long it will take. 
  Having the glue for the incision has to feel weird.       Not sure if we have had another one here who has had it.   
Hope you conintue to do well and enjoy that we are finally having spring here in the midwest.               Cheryl R