My recovery is going very well, but it is a very, very slow process. Although my surgery was "easy" compared to what the surgeons thought they were up against, it still does not make the recovery any easier. I just wish that i had known the extent of the recovery process from brain surgery - i certainly would have prepared better. I did have my mother staying with me for the first two weeks, but i certainly could have used someone for the next three.....Shoot. I can still use someone to help me. I have mornings where my legs can't hold me up. I have to take a few steps to get them to work right. After that it gets progressively better. By afternoon - it is a chore just to hold my head up. Walking across a room feels as though i have run a marathon. Mornings are defenitely better. I am also caring for my 1.5 year old grandson. Thank goodness by the time he gets home from daycare my husband is home. Fatigue? I am told that i have a good 8-10 months before that will go away. That is a combination of the surgery, as well as the anesthesia. (it stays in your body for a year and the effects gradually reduce) I am the kind of person that is go go go. Well right now i am stop stop stop! I am working but only a few hours a day. Me, the "i can do anything" person thinks that i can jump right back into my job as if nothing happened. I could not have been so wrong. I HAVE TO TRAIN MY BRAIN TO MULTI-TASK AND FOCUS ALL OVER AGAIN. It is frustrating to say the least - i am a perfectionist. Riding in a car - very uncomfortable after an hour. Driving - worse. Good thing i only work 10 minutes from home. Sudden moves and turns of my head results in a very bad headache (muscle related). I have to re-think the way i go about my day.........
This surgery has been life changing. Not only in the respect that i could have died, but in the respect that my body is not functioning as it used to. You never really appreciate what you have, what you able to do, or how you live, until it is marred in some way, shape or form. If anyone is going to go through this surgery I urge you to make sure you realize the extent of not only the surgery but the RECOVERY as well. This can impact not only your life, but the lives of those around you - make the necessary arrangements, make sure you have people available that will be willing to help you. DO NOT THINK THAT YOU ARE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT BACK INTO YOUR ROUTINE. This is not going to happen and if you do, you are only going to hurt yourself. Ask other members of this forum about their recovery - take the good with the bad and combine everything - there is a very good chance that you will fall somewhere in-between. Do NOT underestimate the seriousness of brain surgery - of any kind. remember - your brain is your body's computer. Your computer has a virus and it has to be removed. In order to remove this virus, your whole computer has to be exposed and every component inspected to be sure that it is not infected. Afterwards, it is put all together and it has to be re-booted. Well, your recovery is your "re-boot" only your brain takes a little longer than a regular PC! Remember - it has been used to that extra "baggage" it has been carrying around. Well, now it isn't there and it has to compensate for the vacancy. TAKE YOUR TIME getting back into your daily routine. Shoot - it has been almost 6 weeks since my surgery and i STILL have trouble doing laundry, cleaning my house, standing for long periods of time, etc. Ask questions of your surgeon. Questions i wish i had asked prior to going into this but i was so overwhelmed with the diagnosis........
Take notes on what you discover from other people that have gone through the same thing. It will be beneficial to anyone that is helping you during your recovery, to know what you are capable of.
I wish anyone that is going through this the best of luck, Blessings and God Speed........
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Hi Maria - Pat -
My recovery is going very well, but it is a very, very slow process. Although my surgery was "easy" compared to what the surgeons thought they were up against, it still does not make the recovery any easier. I just wish that i had known the extent of the recovery process from brain surgery - i certainly would have prepared better. I did have my mother staying with me for the first two weeks, but i certainly could have used someone for the next three.....Shoot. I can still use someone to help me. I have mornings where my legs can't hold me up. I have to take a few steps to get them to work right. After that it gets progressively better. By afternoon - it is a chore just to hold my head up. Walking across a room feels as though i have run a marathon. Mornings are defenitely better. I am also caring for my 1.5 year old grandson. Thank goodness by the time he gets home from daycare my husband is home. Fatigue? I am told that i have a good 8-10 months before that will go away. That is a combination of the surgery, as well as the anesthesia. (it stays in your body for a year and the effects gradually reduce) I am the kind of person that is go go go. Well right now i am stop stop stop! I am working but only a few hours a day. Me, the "i can do anything" person thinks that i can jump right back into my job as if nothing happened. I could not have been so wrong. I HAVE TO TRAIN MY BRAIN TO MULTI-TASK AND FOCUS ALL OVER AGAIN. It is frustrating to say the least - i am a perfectionist. Riding in a car - very uncomfortable after an hour. Driving - worse. Good thing i only work 10 minutes from home. Sudden moves and turns of my head results in a very bad headache (muscle related). I have to re-think the way i go about my day.........
March 9, 2010 - 6:32amThis surgery has been life changing. Not only in the respect that i could have died, but in the respect that my body is not functioning as it used to. You never really appreciate what you have, what you able to do, or how you live, until it is marred in some way, shape or form. If anyone is going to go through this surgery I urge you to make sure you realize the extent of not only the surgery but the RECOVERY as well. This can impact not only your life, but the lives of those around you - make the necessary arrangements, make sure you have people available that will be willing to help you. DO NOT THINK THAT YOU ARE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT BACK INTO YOUR ROUTINE. This is not going to happen and if you do, you are only going to hurt yourself. Ask other members of this forum about their recovery - take the good with the bad and combine everything - there is a very good chance that you will fall somewhere in-between. Do NOT underestimate the seriousness of brain surgery - of any kind. remember - your brain is your body's computer. Your computer has a virus and it has to be removed. In order to remove this virus, your whole computer has to be exposed and every component inspected to be sure that it is not infected. Afterwards, it is put all together and it has to be re-booted. Well, your recovery is your "re-boot" only your brain takes a little longer than a regular PC! Remember - it has been used to that extra "baggage" it has been carrying around. Well, now it isn't there and it has to compensate for the vacancy. TAKE YOUR TIME getting back into your daily routine. Shoot - it has been almost 6 weeks since my surgery and i STILL have trouble doing laundry, cleaning my house, standing for long periods of time, etc. Ask questions of your surgeon. Questions i wish i had asked prior to going into this but i was so overwhelmed with the diagnosis........
Take notes on what you discover from other people that have gone through the same thing. It will be beneficial to anyone that is helping you during your recovery, to know what you are capable of.
I wish anyone that is going through this the best of luck, Blessings and God Speed........
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