Debbi Bifulco Update

[yardtick]

Debbi & Tammy

Complain and vent all you want, that's what we are here for.

I wish I had a magic wand and  could wiggle my nose and make everyone better on this forum. 

Your little witch........

Anne Marie

[Jim Scott]

Debbi:

You've maintained a great, positive attitude for two months while dealing with some unpleasant post-op complications, inconvenience and just plain frustration.  You've earned the right to vent.  I just hope and pray that the issues you're dealing with resolve sooner rather than later..but don't give in to depression. 

After all, you're from New Jersey!  Birthplace of Frank Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi, General Norman Schwarzkopf and other folks who didn't give up and were ultimately successful.  You will be too, Debbi.  Just keep pushing and see the positives, as you usually do.  And , between the venting and bad days, never lose your delightful sense of humor.  We couldn't do without it. 

Jim   cheering Debbi on from the Nutmeg state, birthplace of Annie Leibovitz.

[lori67]

We have a Nutmeg state?     Guess I should have paid attention in geography class, huh?  Or read more license plates.

Jim, don't forget about Bruce Springsteen from Jersey too.  And of course, the incredibly famous "Lori67".

Debbi - hope your blah day passes and doesn't return any time soon.  16 months after my surgery, I still occasionally have a blah day and feel the need to vent to anyone who will listen. Sometimes that's only my dog because everyone else knows enough to stay away from me on those days.   

Lori

[Kaybo]

Debbi & Tamara~
Complain all you want...I would give my left arm if you would BOTH get your smile and blink back ASAP!!!  It's too late for me, but that doesn't mean I want anyone else to have to deal with this for a life-time!!  However, it really isn't that bad when you know it is forever and you can either go on and live life to the fullest..or not...I really think is it a bit easier to know that it isn't going to get better than live in the limbo of "Is it going to get better today, in a month, or year?"  Tomorrow is a new day - hopefully it will be better!  I'm here if you need me!!

K

[leapyrtwins]

Debbi -  everyone has "difficult" days.  This too shall pass!  You are generally more positive on a bad day than I am on a good one, so I'm confident you'll get past this 

Tamara - dark chocolate M&Ms are actually good for you, so don't sweat the small stuff 

Anne Marie - if you ever get a magic wand or a nose that wiggles and makes everyone better, let Lori & me know - we'll find a way to help you profit from that; minus a small commission for us of course

K - you should win a special award for being an AN patient with an exemplary attitude 

Jim -  how come Debbi has a "delightful" sense of humor and I'm just "droll" ?    Are you playing favorites, here?  LOL

Lori - everyone knows that New Jersey is the Nutmeg State.  I can't believe you didn't!!!  And you call yourself a Jersey girl  SHEESHHHHH!

Jan

[Kaybo]

I didn't know about the Nutmeg State...   

K

[leapyrtwins]

Me either, K 

I just like to give Lori sh*t LOL

[oHIo]

Debbi and Tammy...I've been having one of those BLAH weeks.  I hit three months post op and am still having facial issues including eye problems.  My eye is still sewn 2/3 of the way shut, and I have dryness and no peripheral vision.  I have a nice view of my nose and eyelashes and I've grown quite tired of the whole thing.

I went for a facial evaluation a few weeks ago and broke the record for low score (as in the worst anyone has every scored).  I guess there's two ways to look at it.  I'm in really big trouble, or I have no way to go but up. 

I *celebrated* my three month anniversary of surgery, my one year anniversary since diagnosis along with a major wedding anniversary this past week.  Instead of worrying about recovery, I should be on a nice vacation with my hubby.  Things don't always go as we planned.

My sense of humor has kept me going.  I'm not one who usually gets too down, but I must admit I had a nice self pity party earlier in the week.

I have regrouped by reading the forum, having a good laugh and relying on the kindness of friends to get me through this short phase.  Debbi...my neck is still killing me too.  I have a friend in massage school who has been coming over weekly to try and work on my neck.  I'm not sure there is much hope for a quick cure and the way I cock my head to see (with my right eye) has left me with the posture of Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein. 

I have ordered a t-shirt to express myself (I'm not brave enough yet for a tattoo like Jan  ) and maybe stop strangers from chasing me down and staring at my eye (yes, it has happened).  The t-shirt reads: "two more holes in my head and I'd be a bowling ball"   

Sorry to hijack your thread.  Just wanted to let you know you are not alone. 
The other Debbie (with an e)--usual sunny disposition in a full eclipse

[calimama]

hi debbi and all...

I have not had access to the computer since Monday (i think... things are getting blurry) and since my surgery i have been unable to keep up with the "update" that grows and grows... I generally just look to the last page and see a bit of what's going on.

I see you have a new (and fabulous picture)... i think that's you? or i need to cover up the other eye (left one is patched). Anyone, somebody looks good to me! Forgive me....

It sounded like a few people were having rough days out there.... no blink or smile. Ah... misery loves company. Just another non blinking, non smiling girl hey wishing you guys better days ahead.

If it makes anyone feel better (but better not!) I still have double vision (would be nice to think I now have two Cali's but really just have the same babe, but she has 4 eyes now!!). I think this is the worst part (yes, worse than no blink, eye drops, etc). Not only cannot i not hear (ok, i think i might have 7.5% hearing... but that's a guess!) on the left, but i have to patch my poor ole left eye cuz otherwise everything is really screwed up. I can only think that all this will get better in good time, but at 26 days post surgery, I think I am "over" my symptoms. It's all kind of "old" already. I mean, you have surgery, you prepare for the worst, and i know there is much worse than where i am... but then you just start going....hmm... this kind sucks. ANYWAY... my search for a n"nice" eye patch contines. I am hoping to meet another (good this time) opthamologist soon... a referral from my surgeon. I saw those nice "blinkeze" thingees on the internet and am hoping to get one. Regardless, I still have the patch issues, but I think the weight would help. My smile is still broken, but when an eye (or in my case, both eyes together) don't work too well, the smile can weight.

ANYWAY, sorry to rant on Debbi's space.  After reading a bit about your PICC thing (which from the sounds of it REALLY sucked), i know we all have our crosses to bear. SO thanks for sharing and those just hear with a sympathetic ear. GOOD ON YA Debbi for being such a brave sort and keeping up the good spirits.

Trish

[Pooter]

Debbi - I echo what others have said; you've EARNED the right to have "one those days"!  This, too, shall pass.  I know its hard to see now, but we both will look back and laugh about these days..Ok, maybe not laugh, but you get the idea.    Keep the faith, girl!

Tamara, oHIo and Trish - You all have had your issues.  Before you know it, those things will clear up too.  As someone else said, we all have our crosses to bear.  We have our good days, and we have our bad days. 

Each of you can rant and rave all you want.  We all do from time to time.  Lord knows I've ranted enough. 

Take care,

Brian

[wendysig]

Hi Debbi -
You have been so strong throughout your whole ordeal you are entitled to complain and moan once in a while -- in fact yo've done it so little you're entiltled to do a lot more.  As for running marathons, maybe we should make one up for AN survivors, I can just see all of us running, and walking  crookedly like a slightly inebreated crowd.  Think they'd arrest us or being drunk and disorderly?  I hope tomorrow's a better day!

Wendy

[sgerrard]

Lori - everyone knows that New Jersey is the Nutmeg State.

Au contraire, the Nutmeg State would be Connecticut, home of Jim Scott, among others. From the Connecticut State Library web site:

"The sobriquet, the Nutmeg State, is applied to Connecticut because its early inhabitants had the reputation of being so ingenious and shrewd that they were able to make and sell wooden nutmegs."

Jim and his neighbors are a clever bunch...

Steve

[Jim Scott]

Steve:

Thanks for the clarification.  I was going to offer it but I'm glad someone else did as my information might have been viewed as self-serving. 

As a resident of the Northeast who was born and raised on Long Island, New York but has lived in Connecticut for almost 40 years,, I'm quite familiar with state nicknames in this part of the country.  Connecticut being the 'Nutmeg State' (which I always thought was a rather lame designation).  New York the 'Empire State' (clever) and of course, New Jersey being the 'Garden State' , a dubious designation for some areas of the state but accurate for others. 

Jim

[Debbi]

To all my fellow "broken smiled", blinkless friends - well, better days are certainly coming!  And, thank you to everyone for letting me vent.  I usually view my glass as at least half-full, but I'll confess to having some "half-empty" days recently.  Perhaps foolishly, I had envisioned recovery as being blip-free.  Of course, waking up in recovery with a paralyzed face should have been my first hint that recovery might indeed have a few blips.  Ah, well.  I still have much to be grateful for.

It seems that there is quite a group of us with varying degrees of facial issues.  It's good that we can compare notes and give each other support. 

Debbie (oHIo), I am curious as to what kind of things they did for your facial evaluation, and how they score it?  Would you mind sharing?

Tammy, I know you've got your Blinkeze coming (this week, I think?) so do let us know how those work. 

Trish, hope you find a great eye patch - and please share! 

Pooter, hope that headache is gone finally - I really don't envy you that whole complication. 

Wendy, don't let all this scare you - I'm counting on you to have a trouble free surgery and recoery!

Jim and Steve - thanks for clearing up that Nutmeg State thing!  (And thanks for the encouraging words - it always helps!)

Jan - New Jersey?  Everyone knows we are the Embroidery Capital of the World...

And, please, everyone, feel free to use this thread to vent!  You're my friends and you're always welcome.  I'd offer you a glass of wine, but Lorenze drank it...

Debbi, feeling better, still looking freaky

[leapyrtwins]

Oops!  Read Jim's post incorrectly.  Didn't realize he said CT was the Nutmeg State - thought he was still expounding on NJ 

Debbi -

the Embroidery Capital of the World?  Never heard that one; who knew

Jan