VOR Testing and one month checkup

[Road Trip Dale]

Hey Gang..Road Trip Dale here,

Thought I'd add some interest to the day.  I just had my one month checkup yesterday and I'm free, free, free, to hit the road again.  The surgeons are amazed.  I did have a couple of things going for me before surgery (1) I was already pretty much deaf in my AN ear so I've had little to no adjustment to make there, and (2) tests showed that my non-AN ear had already taken over a majority of balance functions for the AN side, so I'm walking, riding my bike, shooting hoops with the grandkids, etc. already.  Still have to be careful when I get weary, because the "being drunk" feeling comes over me, but the experts say that will go away as my strength returns. We are outta here the 1st or second week of June, "On the Road Again!"

Another piece of info.  I volunteered with the University of Kansas Mechanical Engineering Dept to do a test on a new research study titled, "Tracking Head Motion and Orientation in Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) testing."  "The purpose of the study is to collect base data that will be used in the designing of a new 3-Dimensional device for the diagnosis of acoustic neuroma and related conditions."  Purpose stated by Dr. Sara Wilson, Principal Investigator.  Should be fun.  I go in next week for a couple of hours while they hook me up to all kinds of electrical leads and then I have to move my hear up and down and side to side.  Hope they provide theme music  

I also had the wonderful opportunity to sit down to lunch yesterday with a newly diagnosed AN patient (hate that word!).  She has an appointment with an Neuro-Otologist at the same office that I went too on Monday.  I believe she will be lurking around the forum and hopefully will participate in the future as she makes her decision as to which treatment, if any, she opts for.  So all in all its been an interesting couple of days.

 I'm still doing great and looking forward to being a Nomad again.

Aaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!

[Gennysmom]

Very cool Dale, let us know about the fun testing!!!!!!!!

And if you're ever up here in the Seattle area, give me a shout!!!  Can't be letting those east coast wenches be hogging you!!!!  We have good food here too!!!!

[ppearl214]

Hey, RoadTripDale!

Fabulous news! Congrats! Would love to see how this testing goes and you as a guinea pig...er... test subject goes!   (hit me later for that!). 

I got your lobsta and chowda all set for you 2! 

Congrats!
Phyl

[Sue]

Yeah, Dale...be sure to put the Great Pacific Northwest on you intinerary someday. Oregon and Washington have some wonderful things to offer - everything from scenic ocean beaches (Oregon has some of the prettiest beach scenery!) the Cascade Mountains which includes Mt. St. Helens and Crater Lake and those are worth the trip right there; cosmopolitan Seattle, and one of our favorite spots, the delightful San Juan Islands, north of Seattle and the Puget Sound area which is home to many interesting towns and villages (Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, for instance!)  As a native Oregonian and now a resident of Washington State, I can now brag about two states that are near and dear to my heart. Oh, my...I should be in the tourist industry.  Gennysmom, do you agree???

[Gennysmom]

Totally agree, I am like you....born in Newport, Oregon.....moved here to Washington when I was four.  You're never more than an hour or so from either snowy mountains or ocean beaches.  I keep saying, the only thing keeping us from Utopia is that the sound is not warm enough...if it was filled with tropical waters, it would truly be Utopia here.  Sue, I think we should quit our day jobs and get into the travel business!!!!!!!! 

[ppearl214]

You live on the "wrong" coast, you silly!  I live on the "right" coast! 

*runs out of thread REAL fast!* 

Totally agree, I am like you....born in Newport, Oregon.....moved here to Washington when I was four.  You're never more than an hour or so from either snowy mountains or ocean beaches.  I keep saying, the only thing keeping us from Utopia is that the sound is not warm enough...if it was filled with tropical waters, it would truly be Utopia here.  Sue, I think we should quit our day jobs and get into the travel business!!!!!!!! 

[Gennysmom]

At least "my" coast hasn't flooded back into the ocean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[DeniseSmith]

Phyl

I think they  call it the Left Coast.... at least in my circle of friends.

Ds

[Gennysmom]

Best coast works too!!!!!!!!

[Obita]

Congrats Dale!!  It seems like you and I had the exact same outcome from our AN surgery.  I too had been training my right side to take over and didn't even know it.  Sure was nice to be expecting major balance problems and not having any.  I do ask my brother to clean out my gutters.........just don't want to go up on a tall ladder.  I am chicken and I admit it.

Denise Smith and I are going to meet for coffee Sunday.  She and I only live 40 miles away from each other.  I hope to be a major part of her support system for her upcomming surgery to re-route the nerve to her face.  She and I can compare the holes in our heads on Sunday!!

Hope to see you when you head north.  Drop a line or call when you get close to Minnesota.

Get packing!!  Kathy O'Brien

[matti]

Dale - Congratulations on a fantasic check-up and for getting your wheels back again. You and Carol are Cool!!!    The study sounds very interesting and I look forward to hearing more about it.

I also had the wonderful opportunity to speak with a newly diagnosed AN patient today, who I met on this forum and only lives a couple of miles from me. This forum is so amazing!!!!

Have a wonderful time on Sunday, Denise and Kathy. Remember we like pictures so don't forget your camera.

Cheryl

[Gennysmom]

Denise and Kathy....have a great time...meeting another ANer and having a face to face is the best thing ever!!!!!!!!!  I highly recommend it!!!  Not only that, but I was lucky enough to get to meet someone (Nan!!! yea!!) that already had the surgery I will be having and that was so cool!!!!!!!!!!

[Obita]

I couldn't even find anyone that knew what an AN was before my surgery much less anyone that had had surgery......I still can't believe I didn't find this forum while I was researching treatment options.  How long has it been up and running?

Will let you all know how our coffee meeting goes tomorrow.  I am very excited about meeting Denise.  She is a dog lover as am I so we already have two things in common.

Have a good night everyone,  Kathy O'Brien

ps:  Gennysmom:  My friend has a parrot that sings LaLaLaBaaaambaaaaaaaa!  He also screams her name when he wants a piece of fruit......Donnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

[Sue]

Totally agree, I am like you....born in Newport, Oregon.....moved here to Washington when I was four.  You're never more than an hour or so from either snowy mountains or ocean beaches.  I keep saying, the only thing keeping us from Utopia is that the sound is not warm enough...if it was filled with tropical waters, it would truly be Utopia here.  Sue, I think we should quit our day jobs and get into the travel business!!!!!!!! 

I remember some years back they did a TV movie about some giant squid or something terrorizing the nice folks in the Puget Sound area.  Only they were showing these scantily clad teens frolicking in the water, and I thought..."Hmmmm, so where did they film THIS?"  So I looked in the credits, and it was filmed in Australia, I think.  You only frolic in wetsuits in Puget Sound, I think!!  But, yes, we on the "Left Coast" know we are lucky.  Not to say that there aren't nice things on the "Right Coast", too. Would love to visit all the wonderful places in each state of the union. Yep, promoting the Northwest would be fun.

[Captain Deb]

Ain't no Utopia, unless ya can float around in yer innertube in the altogether!

Capt Deb