Recovery Time

Today, Saturday, is 3 days out from the GK treatment. I can now wiggle my eyebrows up and down almost all the way with hardly any pain from the screw holes in my temporal areas. It still hurts a bit to lay down on the back of my head and the very top of my scalp still feels numb. Nicole put some antibiotic ointment on a couple of raw spots last night, and it helped-that stuff is pretty gnarly to get out of your hair though. The doctors kept telling Pat that it was obvious that he didn't give me many martinis, judging from how quick I reacted to the pain meds. Evidently I giggled through the bulk of the procedure. Except for when I woke up and they were screwing something tighter and my hair was getting screwed into the mix, and when they would rotate my head certain directions and manipulate the table I was on in another direction. Yuck.

Today a physical therapist did some cranial sacral work on my head and Wow. Gentle touch is especially meaningful after physical trauma. After being held in a vice grip for so many hours, plus the general stress of this new development it was wonderful to have some kind, focused time to just rest and heal a bit from Wednesday with no interruptions. This afternoon I took a bike ride through campus to Monroe street and back. It went ok...told Pat I'd take the cell phone in case I tipped over-which made him nervous. Never know how well my balance will be after a couple days of being drugged and nuked. The only problem was on the path past the OSU cow/sheep barns where there are a lot of bumps. It felt like some of the craters where either screws were, or radiation was focused didn't quite know what to do with themselves. I was hoping I wouldn't come home with concave spots whether visable or not. Campus is MUCH more smooth. . Yeow. So, still taking it moderately easy, increasing activities daily. Repotted a bunch of tomatoes today, still have a ton more to go. It'll happen. Pat's recuperating too. He came home from work at about 6 pm yesterday, went to bed with no dinner, and woke up at about 6:30 this morning.

Sarah's having a blast with her new Nikon D-80 camera. Yeah-Make-A-Wish Foundation!! Not only was planning and reading up on photography a great distraction from a cruddy situation, she's got some fantastic equipment, and is taking some fun photos. We practically have to pry it out of her hands at bedtime. Very fun. Not bedtime...the camera.

So-that's about it. Thanks, those that have sent cards and e-mails, etc. It helps a LOT to know you're rooting for us. This is NOT a solo road.

Jeanne