Update on my eye surgery... and other things going on right now

[Taylor]

Well i saw the eye doc yesterday and it has been a week and a day since my strabismus surgery.  Doc said that the alignment was excellent and that it was healing beautifully.  He also put a punctum plug in during the surgery.  My eye is still pretty blurry... glasses don't help. 

I got back from school at about 10:00.  I still write very slow so i go to special services and have a scribe that writes for me during quizzes and tests. I have to make appointments for that.

For algebra i have a note taker that uses carbon paper and i get a copy.  For psychology i record the lecture then type and print it later.  It's such a pain but it's what i have to do... for now. 

I took a nurse's assistant course (CNA) at my old school before i was diagnosed... i was thinking about being a nurse.  I don't know how that's gonna work now with the transfers and stuff.  I think a stethoscope will be a problem too considering the deafness in one ear.

Advice! Everyone that writes on here is older than me so i'll take anything you have to say!   =Taylor

[tony]

It seems to be going well for you.
In terms of career, nurse, doc, etc you might check
out if there is a form of the job that is a bit more desk based
- a ward nurse might need to hear well - or lift well
But there are many other similar roles that are ether
less physical or less hearing dependant
- maybe therapy type or psycology areas ?
Alot depends on what interests you
- and if you dont mind further study
best regards
tony

[ppearl214]

Taylor,

Fantastic eye update on you! I may not be able to help advise about career moves (heck, my major in college was journalism, but I ended up being a hairdresser as my dad always told me, "if you have a 'trade', you always have a job" and did that for over 20 yrs before I *coff* retired... and now I sell computer chips... go figure?) but I believe, based on your courage and resolve and sheer determination, you can do anything!   I am so so very proud of you! I really am!

Hang in there!
xo
Phyl

[DeniseSmith]

Taylor,
Sounds like you are doing well.  It is good to hear that you have found ways to help you work around any residual effects of the tumor/surgeries.  You project a very positive attitude in your posting and are an inspiration to others "your age" going through this time of your life.

Keep up the positive attitude.  I am impressed and wish you the best and continued sucess.

Denise

[Cheryl R]

Taylor,  I am a nurse but only work in a small rural hospital.     I have had no big problem with the one sided hearing.           Everyone asks me if I have trouble hearing blood pressures but I usually don't.    I just have to listen really hard for lung sounds.      Most bigger hospitals have techs or aides do the BP's with a machine.        My worst trouble is being in a hallway and can't locate where an IV is beeping at.     If that is what you are interested in,go for it!      Having been thru what you have will help in knowing what a pt is feeling.       
     I wish you well,                          Cheryl R.

[msuscottie]

Glad things are goin well Taylor!

[Patti UT]

Taylor,

   Great News. Sounds like you are really moving forward and working with the situation to accomplish what you need to. You are a very strong young woman. Stay determined and positive. This is an awlful lot for someone so young to have to endure.
Wishing you the best.
Patti UT

[Captain Deb]

I guess being a sailboat captain, my old career, is out for you, too.  Updating my "ticket" (ocean ops license) is something I was seriously considering pre-AN. Dr. Love and I wanted to buy a big sailboat and sail away to the islands and do charters part-time to pay for it. He doesn't have the 5-6 years of documented sea experience you need to get a license.

You are lucky, Taylor, in that you have time to adapt to your limitations and find a career that suits you. Those of us that have these mid-life ANs have a much harder time re-grouping. "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks" for a lot of us.  I wouldn't hesitate to pursue the nursing field, if that's what you want to do.  Going through what you have gone through would give you a great sense of empathy for patients. Also there is no doubt in my mind that in a few years, the technology needed to give us back our directional hearing will be there when you are ready for it!

Big Hugs and Smooches, m'darlin'
Capt Deb
definitely an old dog

[HeadCase2]

Taylor,
 Ã‚ It's really good to hear that you're doing well, and that you're doing the things you want to do.  I'm sure career guestions will work themselves out as you discover the things that interest you.  Most of us have had several career changes along the way.  One of the quotes I like is that "life is what happens when you're planning something else."  One of the good things about college is that it exposes you to many different fields, along the way you'll discover that you have abilities and interests that you didn't know you had.  This is why many people change majors at least once.  Go with your interests.
 Ã‚ 
 I can see that you are adapting how you obtain notes for classes.  I was wondering if speech recognition software would be helpful.  It creates written documents from spoken words, perhaps you could do this from a tape recording.  I haven't looked at this type of software for a while, but the last time I did the software required some "training".  You had to train the software for a particular person's voice.  Hopefully speech recognition software has improved.
 Ã‚ I'd love to see teachers use speech recognition software to write up their lectures, to be be posted on a web site, so that students could pay more attention to the lectures, rather than taking notes.
Regards,
 Rob

[Kathleen_Mc]

Taylor: About your desire to become a nurse.....
I was already working when I got sick and the hearing loss hasn't been a big issue as far as work is concerned, as someone else posted there's machine's etc that will help you in this way. I myself work is mental health so there not a need for me to be able to listen to lungs and hearts and if there is a need a "fully hearing" co-worker helps out.
My only concern for you in the career choice is the actual schooling, the workload and pace of the programme, I don't think I would have been able to keep up if I had gone into the programme post-op due to the fatigue level I have, this may not be an issue for you though.
Kathleen

[Cheryl R]

I agree with Kathleen that the schooling part could be hard.       I work with some CNAs who are also nurisng students at our local community college and hear of some of their frustrations.      Have you worked any in a hospital setting as if you haven't may be a thought to do some of that for experience and also to make sure you are all recovered enough for school.        Being young is in your favor as compared to some of us oldsters.
I do kind of forget about the face.        I work in a place where we get some of the same pts in and out so some know of my ordeal and were quite concerned about it.                  I am  more nervous about helping out weigh and measure kids at a school next week that another nurse has been recruiting help to do and am sure kids will be the one to ask what's wrong.         
I really hate having my picture taken as that's when it looks really apparent.       
                                               Cheryl R.

[Kathleen_Mc]

Cheryl: I actually find it easier to deal with children, if they want to know what's wrong they just ask and I tell them the truth at thier level (my son's friends I tell I had a sick in my ear and when they fixed it they broke my face but that it doesn't hurt and that I really don't mind.....I also have told them I had a choice to look like this and loose my hearing in one ear or to go to heaven and I chose to have the sick fixed and I'm glad 'cause I lived to know them!) I tend to take my clues from them. If I notice a stare I invite the questions and I answer them fully and at thier level.
Kathleen

[Cheryl R]

Thanks,Kathleen.      I figued I would have a simple explanation ready as do know kids will ask.    My little granddaughter who was 2 1/2  at the time of my surgery was quite concerned over my head dressing and we just told her I had an ouchie and that was fine with her and back to playing once she gave it all a good lookover.                             Cheryl R.

[Road Trip Dale]

Taylor.....here is Road Trip's advice.  You just go girl!!!  You sound like you are a take charge, go getter, who can find solutions to obstacles that are placed in front of you.  If you want to be a Nurse than go for it!  There is nothing a patient likes better than a Nurse who KNOWS where their complaints come from.  The AN will give some limitations, but nothing thats not overcomeable (is that a word??).  You are young and have a long, and I'm sure wonderful life ahead of you, so don't EVER say to yourself, "well I can't do that now so I'll just have to forget it!"

Story:  I had a young man working for me (he was a good lookin' guy, about 24 years old), who had seizures periodically.  Sometimes they were violent and caused him great pain.  He had brain surgery to correct the problem, which it did but it left him with a terrible scar and a sunken spot on his skull and some facial disfiguration.  His speech was slurred, and he occassionally couldn't get the correct word out.  BUT, he came back to work, never felt he couldn't do the job, and became the best person I had in the position and I promoted him to a managerial spot.  What did he do for a living?  He was a power speaker salesman, who went to corporations giving seminars and trying to sell our product (Computer Training).  If he slipped up on a word, he made a joke about it and never took pity from anyone.  He was my inspiration when I went into surgery.  I told myself that if this young man could continue on with the misfortune that life at thrown at him, could keep his laughter up, and his self esteem, whats a little loss of hearing and some facial  static to an old fart like me. 

Sooo, you go for the moon, life is going to change the direction you head several times anyway!  If you want to be a Nurse and that is your life goal, than don't let anything stand in your way.  You've found ways around other problems you'll find a way around this one too.  Good Luck!!!

RTD

[amymeri]

Taylor,

I am a nurse practitioner and have to listen to heart and breath sounds daily.  I have a very good stethescope and do just fine.  You can also get stethescopes with amplifiers if you need it, and if you have a hearing aid (like a bi-cros) you can get earmolds that accomodate a stethescope.

If you want to be a nurse you should go for it.  You will be able to  bring a little extra compassion to your job and that's invaluable.

We all have some limitations with this darn tumor but I think you can overcome and accompish anything you set out to do.

I agree with everyone else...GO FOR IT!