I figure it's high time for a post again as I have been getting a lot of e-mails asking how I'm doing. There hasn't been a lot to report of late. I'm definitely progressing in the right direction, although slowly. Since my last update we now have our little Sidney home and our Danica will be home on the weekend. It's just so awesome to be at this point and having our family back together.
In great news for our family, Jeff has just been hired by WestJet. This means he only has 1 month left in the military. We're pretty jazzed about this as it means he'll be around more with our family. He will take a wage cut for the short term, but it's totally worth it to have our Daddy around more. He has missed out on so much family time, that I'm really looking forward to knowing in advance what our family schedule is going to be and actually being able to make plans a month in advance (and not having those plans change at the last minute).
As for myself I still am tired, dizzy and experiencing nausea. It's always worse in the morning, but I'm happy to report that in the afternoons (after an afternoon nap) I feel pretty good. I am finding that the more I do, the more challenging I'm finding being deaf in 1 ear. I'm finding that I really do miss a lot when we are in a social setting. I took some advice from a long lost friend of mine and I just tell people that I'm deaf in 1 ear and I'm having a hard time hearing them (thanks Yvonne). It really does help as most people have no problem speaking up and making sure they speak into my hearing ear. The plus side of my single side deafness is that normally I'm a really light sleeper and everything wakes me up, now I find I can sleep through a lot and as result I'm getting some of the best sleep of my life.
I have to say that even with all the challenges of recovery, when I think back to the headaches and how awful I felt pre-op, I'm just so super grateful in how I feel right now. Every once in a while when I lay down at night I think of how I used to have to try to make myself comfortable on the stack of pillow, it just makes me SO happy I can lay down flat now. Just even the thought of how I had to keep my head perfectly straight or face the consequences of a brutal head, makes me so grateful. The amazing thing to me is that I've only had about 3-4 tension headaches since I was home. To think I used to have the brutal pressure headaches 2-3x's/day as well as a migraine every 3 +/- days and suffered with that for over a year. I can very confidently say that even if I was given the option to have my hearing back, I wouldn't in a million years go back to how I felt then. I have to say that in term of what I can accomplish, I'm pretty much on par now post-op as what I was pre-op. I just am much more happy with the dizziness and nausea over the headaches and terrible feeling I had before. There was almost no relief before, where as now there is Gravol and sleep!
As for my Gall bladder, I'm going to have that surgery on May 18th. I'm going to be pretty happy to have that behind me too. It's only day surgery and the Doctor said recovery for that will take about a week. I'm counting on a little longer since I'm still recovering from my last surgery. Either way, it'll be nice to have that over and done with.
Thanks to everyone again for you thoughts and prayers.
One more quick thing, I'm starting to get feeling back in the tip of my tongue. I'm thinking that this has got to be a good sign for the rest of my tongue, face as well as my eye, as it's the same nerve that takes care of all those things. I'm thinking that the feeling back in the tip of my tongue means that it is repairing itself. I know Dr. Chen had said that it would only take time to get better, but I've been preparing myself for the fact it might not. It would be so nice to not have numbness in my face and an even bigger bonus to have my eye produce tears again. Time will tell if that will happen, but I think this is a positive sign.
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We're continuing to keep you in our prayers for strength and healing. You're an amazing inspiration of a positive attitude and a grateful heart! Keep it up Ingrid. "slow and steady wins the race".
ReplyDeleteHopefully your next surgery goes swimmingly, and that you hardly even notice it! :-)
So happy for you guys regarding Jeff's job. Sounds like a great change. Wishing you all he best!
I am so happy to hear your quality of life is and will be so much better. Congrats to Jeff on the new job and as you continue to heal, you too will be able to fly - I look forward to more updates
ReplyDeleteHugs, thoughts and prayers, Jen
Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers, girl! So happy for you that your husband got hired on Westjet. My brother has had a deaf ear all his life, and he can definitely relate to what you're writing. He always adds that when he goes to heaven he can't wait to hear in stereo! : ) In social settings, don't be afraid to remind people that you can only hear so much at once. It's amazing how insensitive we can be to people with hearing needs.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you're on the mend - will continue to monitor updates. May our Father give you His strength.
Great to read your update Ingrid! Those of us who experience SSD (Single Sided Deafness) have unique challenges in that we look so 'normal'. I have had people ask me if I will be able to hear again on that side; some have actually yelled into my deaf ear when I mentioned I didn't hear on that side :-); and it becomes a skill to position oneself in group situations so as to hear enough to appear social.
ReplyDeleteThe strangest thing for me is not knowing where sound is coming from. If someone calls me, I have to ask them where they are. Also, it is a little unsettling while driving and hearing an emergency vehicle siren and not knowing which direction the sound is coming from.
All these things take time to get used to but we have to remind ourselves that the outcome could have been so different and be thankful for God's grace in our lives. Humour helps a lot too and you have plenty of that :-)....
May God continue to be near you, also when you have your gall bladder surgery.
Cecile