Slow progress is still good progress

I was so "normal" yesterday that I totally wore myself out by the end of the day. :) I cleaned out cupboards in my kitchen then we went with several neighbors to the South Ogden Splashpad, which was great fun for all. We sat and watched the kids, visited and had snacks. I even drove there myself (sandwiched between 2 of my friends' cars, to make sure I made it okay.:)

The wonderful news is that I am doing more on my own and acting more like a wife and mother than I have in months. Tolan tells me every day now that I am doing great, and it is exciting to have my family feel like they have Mom back again.

Don't get me wrong, there are still all the side effects from the surgeries and complications, but those aside, my energy level is up, my pain is down and I am doing well. Many of my side effects may take 12-18 months to fully recover from, so I am not seeing progress as fast as I did for a while. Now the game is one of patience. :) So, if you don't see posts from me every day, it is simply because there isn't always news for me to tell. I promise to keep you all posted when events change.

To recap, the issues I am still "working on" include:
* Headaches (which are less frequent now, only about 4 times a week instead of every day)
* Hearing loss in my right hear (I do still "hear" echoes, fuzzy sounds, or "sloshing" noises in that ear)
* Problems with my nose (The right nostril of my nose is experiencing some troubles from my third surgery when they went in through my nose to seal my eustation tube from the spinal fluid leak...don't know yet if these are permanent problems or side effects, only time will tell. )
* Facial paralysis including:
- Mouth and jaw: My mouth is functioning at about 80% right now, I still bite my lip, I can't "blow" from my mouth, I can't rub my lips together or drink from a cup. I can move a tiny corner of the right side of my mouth, which is very exciting! Maybe sometime in the next few months, I will be able to smile again!
- Skin: With my paralysis, my glands are missing the communication link that tells them how to control the output of oil, so they are overproducing a ton, meaning I have broken out in acne "rashes" all over my face and neck. Didn't really want to go through puberty again... but what can you do? :)
- Upper face (eye, forehead): These areas have made no improvement yet. My eye is still causing me the most problems and I often don't see out of it, throwing off my balance, coordination and ability to drive. My next apt. is in 2 weeks and I hope to get more answers then.

So, overall, I am vastly improved from the way I was in May and June. No one can tell because my hair covers my scars, but even my hair is coming back in nicely, it is already about 1.5 inches long in the areas that were shaved, so I don't have to try to cover up scars or wear a wig. Little blessings and progress. :)

I really feel like I have a new lease on life. My relationships all mean more to me now than ever before and I continue to enjoy the visits with wonderful old (and new) friends and family! Until next time, much love to all!