Karen,
I really need to go back to work after Labor Day, so I am praying I am ready. I can't afford to lose my job. Financially, I needed to go back after 6 weeks, but that didn't happen. Hopefully, the universe will make allowances.
Multitasking has definitely been problematic for me, but it is getting better. That is another thing that needs to be okay before I can return to work, as I will be managing multiple projects and teams.
It had been feeling like my balance was getting worse instead of better. I suspect what actually happened is that, because it was getting better, I relaxed and started doing things I hadn't done before. I was no longer being as conscious and deliberate about my movements, so I had more incidents of unexpected wonkiness or stumbling than I had in the beginning. At least that is what I am telling myself now, and it feels better to believe it.
I feel a bit weak, like I'm anemic. My stomach has been bothering me ever since I finished off the proton-pump inhibitors they gave me to protect my stomach from the steroids. Are those available over the counter? Maybe I just need to eat more regularly. It's 2 pm and I haven't had lunch yet.
The side of my head still hurts in places and is numb in others. If I bend over, my head will begin to throb, but it doesn't induce a huge headache now. I am able to do my own laundry, which feels like a major step toward independence.
I still have the tinnitus, but I try to ignore it. Sometimes, on top of the normal sound, I hear a brief "whoosh" or "chee". Dr. Slattery told me the best treatment for tinnitus is to ignore it, which tells the brain it is not an important signal to interpret as sound. Overall, without the muffled sound in my left ear and the recruitment, my hearing is better than before the surgery. Cat noticed in the ICU that I was not asking people to repeat themselves as much as I had been. Even though I no longer have the recruitment, without a hearing nerve on the left side, I still get a loud burst of a "chee" sound on my deaf side, when I hear a sudden loud noise. Apparently, the other side of my brain is getting some of the signal from my right ear. That I don't claim to understand.
I'm still sleeping 10 hours a night. That will be okay if I can start going to sleep at 10 pm instead of midnight. I'm not expecting to have much of a life once I go back to work, but I'm not doing much now either, and I will appreciate being around adults. (The kids have gone back to school and I am taking advantage of the quiet around the house.)
My left eye is still dry, although it does now produce some tears. I still have the bitter taste in my mouth but I can usually tolerate it. Most days I am no longer eating a lot of Jolly Ranchers.
I did drive into the suburbs yesterday to go buy a ream of paper. It was easier than I expected it to be, which was a huge relief. I am starting to feel a bit more like my old self.
My stress tolerance is not yet what it needs to be, in order for me to be able to handle my job.
I think that covers it. Let me know if you have any specific questions that I didn't answer. Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Thanks,
Liz
