Some Good news for a change
I am one year six months post GK surgery, AN on my right side. I have had my share of post operative side effects or issues such as hearing loss, balance problems, vertigo, headaches. All but the hearing have begun to resolve themselves. Today I accomplished a goal I set for myself three years ago. I spent the day on the ski slope. August of this year if someone had told me I would be back on skis by this winter I would have called them crazy. Just this summer as I struggled to put one foot in front of the other with out falling over and walk down the driveway I thought my skiing and other balance requiring activities were over.
I didn't go all out but tested the envelope a bit, as a former member of the need for speed club I spent the day on beginner and intermediate slopes just to test the water sort of speak. I'm a former triple black diamond trail adventurer, for those who don't know ski slopes those are the trails that show no mercy. As the day went I pushed the speed and hit the slalom turns hard to see if I still had it. I'm a little week in the knees and out of shape but handled the mechanics of turning and negotiated terrain with no trouble. Ok I am 55 years old so it probably is time to hang up my flying shoes and slow it down anyway. I guess we need to grow up sometime. But the fact is I skied today. Not bad for someone who had brain surgery a year and a half ago.
I encourage everyone in watch and wait to consider Gamma Knife, Cyber knife surgery in their treatment options. I know not all AN's are candidates for the procedure but it worked well for me. It is very easy to look in than it is to look out of the physically disabling effects our AN has on us as it changes us and manipulates our lives. But we can overcome a lot of them, maybe not all but a lot.
Time... a factor that none of us is willing to sacrifice is the best medicine for all things AN. I now realize that I have been on the short list for recovery all along. Sure doesn't feel that way when your in the thick of it (symptomatic phase). I am grateful for the encouragement sent my way in this forum as I traveled the path of recovery. Sure I have lost my hearing in my right ear but that is hardly stopping me from doing the things I set my mind to. In my depression phase as I focused on the things I was loosing I lost sight of the things I still had. I began to prepare for the worst of the worst instead of building on what I still had.
Good luck to all, for those in the thick of it my prayers go out to you. Take heart in knowing that with effort and perseverance recovery is attainable. Concentrate on the things you can positively effect now and the others will follow. One step at a time, don't expect everything to fix itself over night and don't be afraid of the work that is necessary to rebuild yourself. You won't be the same but you will be functional and able to enjoy life again, I promise.
