5 weeks post op!

That's right--only one more week and I'll have reached the end of my "short term" recovery period. After my six week update, I'll only be posting "Turtle Tracks" on a monthly basis since whatever progress I make from that point will be more gradual. While there are still a few things I'm waiting on to make a comeback, overall, I'd have to say I feel pretty functional. I do have my moments (i.e. my bonfire experience) when I'm reminded that I'm not quite there yet, but they are lessening in number.

This coming week I make (hopefully) my last two trips to the Cleveland Clinic. First, for my follow-up MRI to ensure that Iggy is truly gone for good and, second, for my final checkup with Dr. Woodson. (Can I say I'm a little bummed I'll never see Dr. Seth again?) If I get the all clear, I'm going look into doing a 90-day trial with the Phonak Cros hearing aid. It's ironic that a hearing aid is what I originally went to the Cleveland Clinic for and now four months and a brain surgery later I'm finally back to where I started.

Before I jump to my weekly updates, I wanted to post a few recent pics of my scars. They're healing amazingly well and for those pre-surgery AN-ers I thought it might be a bit encouraging to see that your scars will heal well. Oddly enough, the scar on my hip is darker and more noticeable than the one on my head.

See? Not so bad. :)

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ȍȌȍTURTLE TRACKSȍȌȍ

• Driving continues to go well. There have been no accidents or near-death experiences as of yet. I've expanded my previous two mile driving radius although still no highway or night driving. Perhaps I'll attempt it this week.
• I making slow but sure strides in becoming more active. Any activity with too much head movement is out of the question but I've continued with my walks and even played some Frisbee yesterday. I also walked through some of my Zumba routines just to see what I was and was not capable of (and to see if I remembered them!). It was a bit too much so I may have to give that a few more weeks until my balance stabilizes further.
• Therapy is going well. As soon as I make the teeniest bit of progress with an exercise, Wes is right there to make it more challenging. It can be a little disheartening at times, especially when I struggle with seemingly simple things. But when I look back on where I was just a few weeks ago I know I'm taking giant steps forward.
• My fatigue has significantly lessened. I can now make it through an entire day of moderate activity without needing a siesta. If I push myself, I do still get exhausted much quicker than I use to and, based on others' experiences, that'll probably be the case for awhile.
• Should I even bother mentioning my arms? I feel like a broken record when it comes to them. My arms won't extend, they're sore, they're stiff etc, etc. I feel this is another area that is simply going to take time. My dad told me that he has had patients with muscle injuries that have taken months to recover. Depending on the severity of the injury, its perfectly normal for it to take this long. 
• I'm happy to report that I have my smile back. :)  Probably one of my proudest milestones to date. What can I say? I love smiling. Now I'm just waiting on my right eye to join the club. It really is almost there. I'm just praying for the day when I can finally throw away my eye drops and lubricant and when both of my eyes tear up from a good laugh.

Happy turtling!