Golden rule no 1! REST!
So here it is... A one time only admission! Catch it whilst you can!!!
They were all RIGHT!!! They said.. (over and over again) "Rest Jude, relax, take it slower!" Like I say... they were right! haha!!
I've just got back from ten days in Egypt. It was lovely and sunny... the hardest part of my day was motivating myself to get up and walk the short distance from beach to bedroom when the sun went down!! We went out there to kite and it was great to kite in warm weather and seas!
For all of you who wonder whether you'll get back to being you again, or able to achieve things again.... I managed a new move in kiting this past week that I NEVER thought Morris would manage! :) Yes, I can't see on the way round (its a rotation) but I DID IT! I am so very proud of myself because sometimes it brings you down to keep realising every new thing you can't quite do, that to do something I didn't think I could was AMASING!
Here's a little demo of someone else doing it from YOUtube...Its no great shakes to many.. but it is to me!! :)
So I've returned home but within two days my head is aching again and I'm really tired! Morris was a pain on holiday... especially after a boat rescue and a full day of kiting.. but can you blame him! However it's different now I'm back. What have I learnt... that I really need to relax even more. Stop squeezing it all in to one day. Be good to me and don't worry so much!
So what can I tell you...? Exactly that. Relax and be good to your self. I think that was the first time since my op that I truly relaxed and gave in to being chilled. It was good for me. You deserve the time to heal. If you're starting to get cloudy in your mind and forget things or get worried, lose your balance or get pain.. then take time to rest!
haha! I know I know.. even you guys have been telling me.. not just my friends, but Ive seen it in action now! So for 2013.. it's all about being nice to me..TRY IT!
There's been a few of you who have got in touch recently who are at the begining of all this. I am thinking of you alot and I hope that you are doing ok. It's a long ongoing journey, but lets hope they get it all and you can go forward :) Those of you that have reached their year recently thats awesome too.. it's a great feeling. Well done you!
Time for a round up of symptoms...
It's two years in 3 weeks!!
EYES: Not bad... occasional dry eye and blurriness. Drops help. Sometimes I struggle to see clearly. I can see everything but not with full clarity of picture. Not very good at seeing in the dark.
TONGUE: Still numb. Tingles alot when I'm very tired. Taste buds a little better. Not a real problem
RIGHT FACE SENSATION: Some numbness along the chin and above my right ear. I get palsy when it is very cold and I cant talk properly and I dribble a bit! Altered sensation, but I find rubbing it with different textures helps.
BALANCE: Not so good! I've been trying to do my exercises from the neuro physio but they make me feel very sick at the moment. Ive been taking a lot of anti-sickness recently. Not for sickness but for stopping me feeling dizzy. Still not able to stand up and close my eyes. Fall over in the shower and cant walk straight in the dark. If you "rattle" me for any reason, be it a car journey or some activity then I can't remain standing straight afterwards, I will lean to the right and veer toward the nearest edge. I can turn my head a bit better but it still makes things blurry and I take a long time to cross a road.
HEARING: I got used to this pretty quick. My right ear is fully gone. Never coming back but the left has taken up the job pretty well. I can only hear one noise at a time and orientation is still a big problem but it's ok. I'm used to it. It's the least of my problems to be honest! I'm getting very good at lip reading and I am constantly craning my head to be able to hear people. I forget which side to sit so it's my own fault!
TINNITUS: AAAARGH! haha. This is so annoying. It's as bad as you let it be. If you allow it to annoy you then it's awful. I am so used to it now, but sometimes if theres a noise that is similar in the room or on tv it's very irritating!! You just gotta learn to love it!
BRAIN FUNCTION: Heres the thing... I'm so forgetful it's untrue! I can't remeber dates to save my life and I forget things as soon as they happen! I tell all my friends to just keep nagging me and not to take it personally if I don't reply! I'm so much quicker to get muddled and anxious which is something I hate, but most of the effects I am learning to balance by writing things down and making lists to check off when I've done things! I'm worse than that old doddery aunt we all have sometimes with names!! Im very very tired and when I"m really tired it's worse. I save myself for my days at work. So I can give it my all.
So there you have it. Of course there's other things... Im a cheap date... I can't take a drink that well! I am taking alot of painkillers for pains in my skull and I have lost my appetite and interest in food completely. Who knows if they are head related or not!
I hope some of my journey may help some of you! Sorry it was such a long one!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Judes x