Recovery is Hard...

Today, I'm back at home on my couch.

Tuesday, I moved around the apartment a lot and was productive. I loaded the dishwasher, read a few pages in my textbook, and made dinner. Based on my successful day at home, I decided to go to work on Wednesday. I was so excited to get out of the apartment! Cabin fever had set in.

Wednesday morning was tricky. I was running late because I couldn't figure out how to make gauze stick to my head and cover my wound. The headband I had purchased for this purpose was not working out as I hoped. I finally got it set in place and rushed out the door to my ride. My friend, Stephanie, an old college friend and teammate, was kind enough to offer to drive me to work! (Mental note to self -- buy head scarves this weekend.)

The morning went well. I was very productive. Work had piled up for me while I was gone but I was working through one thing at a time, enjoying being back in the office and being around other people again. During my lunch hour, I started to feel tired. I went back to my desk and worked for another couple of hours. At one point, I had to walk a form across the office to another desk and while doing so, I realized I was feeling light headed and a little unsteady on my feet. When I got back to my desk, I just sat there and slowly, a wave of complete and total body exhaustion overcame me. Worse, my head started to feel like a 20 pound bowling ball rolling around on my neck. My equilibrium was thrown off, and I felt like I did the day after I came home from the hospital. Needless to say, I was taken home from work early. I'm very grateful to two of my coworkers who drove me home and set me back up on my couch.

Last night, I was really depressed. I am not used to feeling this way -- so out of control and easily fatigued. Me? Tired? Never! I'm used to running at 6 in the morning before work, then working all day, then going to class at night, and doing homework afterwards! I'm not used to this extended period of feeling like I have so little stamina. I was not prepared for this. So I'm bummed out.

Today, I'm home. I'm going to take it easy. I'll work on my midterm paper and take my dogs out when they need to. I'm going to try to walk around my apartment complex for ten minute periods every now and then, just to get my legs moving again. Maybe tomorrow I can do a half-day at work. We'll see.

On a different note, my wound is healing beautifully. I'm starting to feel my skull and the skin around my wound again. I still can't feel my ear or the right side of my tongue. Something else has happened. Whenever I talk, or hum, I hear this low buzzing sound in my ear. The doctors told me this might happen but it still freaks me out! I feel like I have someone following me around with the emergency broadcast channel on the television! I now know for sure that the implant is in there! I can hear it! :)

Love,
Becky