AWKWARD TURTLES & ACOUSTIC NEUROMAS

I'm so thankful that my recovery process has continued to speed along without any more major obstacles. After all the ups and downs of the last two months, it's great to wake up consistently feeling great and with only tiny reminders that I ever had brain surgery. But sadly all of this smooth sailing means I have less and less to chat about and, well, what can I say? I miss you guys! This experience has not only allowed me to "meet" some great new people but it's reminded me of how much I enjoy blogging. Perhaps a new blog of my everyday rants and ramblings will be in order? In the meantime, I do have a few updates to share. I'm happy to announce that I have completed my physical therapy (I've got the t-shirt to prove it) and was sent home with only a few exercises to continue doing (though I can't say I've been faithful about keeping up with them). Overall, I rarely experience balance issues anymore and that's certainly been a huge facto...

...it looks like there may be a bit of a delay in acquiring it. Here's what went down this past Friday. Last week, I had my consultation with the audiologist. She's a local provider, unlike Dr. Woodson, so instead of hiking back up to Cleveland for the zillionth time, I took a ten minute drive down the road. A nice change of  pace. I was the only person at the office at 10:00 in the morning which meant my wait time was only 5 minutes and Dr. Bonko (yup, that's her name, no lie) herself came and escorted me to the back. She actually relocated from Cleveland two years ago so she is familiar with Dr. Woodson and the rest of the gang up there. Anywho, we had chatted earlier in the week on the phone about my interest in the Phonak Cros so all of the sample models were laid out and ready to go when I got there. The entire meeting only lasted about ten minutes since I'd already had my hearing test, knew exactly what I wanted and she already had a specific model in mind f...

I'll admit I've been pretty camera-shy since my surgery. Even though my friends and family are convinced my face looks normal and that my facial weakness is "barely noticeable," I've still refrained from all photo-ops. It's one thing to feel like yourself and another thing entirely to look in the mirror or at a photograph and wonder where you're face went. And then I got my smile back.  I've already gushed about how excited I was (and still am!) that I could now flash a toothy grin with the best of them. I finally didn't care that my right eye was still a little dysfunctional or that I was rockin' a crazy hairdo. I could smile again and things were alright with the world.  Liz, a fellow AN-er and faithful reader of Awkward Turtles, requested that I post a picture of said smile. So, Liz, this one's for you. I continue to wish you all the best with your upcoming surgery and hope this entry serves as a happy reminder that you'l...

Happy summer everyone! I couldn't be more thankful that the beginning of my favorite season and my six week milestone are just two days shy of each other. The fact that I'm able to get out and do some of my favorite summertime activities has truly been the icing on my cake. This week I managed to go swimming, biking and tubing all without any adverse effects (and very little fatigue). The plan is to continue challenging myself by gradually increasing my activity level and the variety of activities. I'm thinking maybe a hike for this coming week? My MRI came back with excellent results.  Iggy appears to have left the building for good and I won't need another scan until next May. My follow-up with Dr. Woodson went almost as well. She very impressed with the improvement in my balance and was nearly as happy as I was that my smile had returned fully. The only wrench in the works was my right eye. It still doesn't blink properly, tear, or close completely. So instead ...

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 Cl...

...my back porch last night. On a whim, my family decided to have a bonfire yesterday. It was a beautiful day, we were all home, and, well, why not  have a bonfire? So my dad ran off to the store to secure the hot dogs and giant marshmallows, my mom collected firewood, and I took charge of setting things on fire. We had a lovely time goofing off, burning food, trying to see if any of us actually knew a legitimate campfire song. By 10:30, the fire had begun to die down and I could feel myself starting to doze off. I decided to make a beeline for the house so I could get first dibs on the shower and head to bed. I uncurled myself from my chair and headed for the back porch. And that's when the funny thing happened. Although I was taking very deliberate steps forward, I found myself moving further to the right and away from the porch with every step I took. At first I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I had eaten quite a few marshmallows, and it was late and quite dark....

Happy one month ANniversary to me!  This  is the milestone I've been waiting for. Everyone--my doctors, other AN-ers, my dad--told me that the four week mark was when I would really start to feel like myself again. And, for the most part, I do. My balance is still not 100% and my right eye still doesn't close entirely or tear, but now I can attempt to start driving and begin to be more active. Now I can take those first steps to re-entering my life. Certainly exciting times! So is it weird that part of me is just the slightest bit terrified? I've lived a sheltered existence these past four weeks. Outside of my weekly trips to therapy and the Cleveland Clinic, I haven't really left the house. I know there'll be reactions to my hair (or lack thereof). Perhaps the occasional double-take or stare that lasts a couple seconds too long. I know I'll have to field questions about my general well-being and requests to re-hash the last four weeks in vivid detail. I may...