8 Weeks Post-op

Answered prayer - coming back to life

scrappy hair

Can't believe it's been 8 weeks since my surgery! It has taken a long time to recover and it's been quite a bit harder than I expected. I'm surely not 100% yet. It's been so good that I haven't had to push myself though since I am not going back to work and Bob is so patient with me. I have been back to exercising at the gym for the past three weeks. I could only walk on the treadmill for a half hour for the first week. The second week I started on the elliptical machine for 15 to 30 minutes. It really wasn't that hard, but then later I felt very nauseous. Now I am able to go 30 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes walking! My legs are quite stiff later on in the afternoon and evening. It's amazing how weak my legs and knees are after about 5 weeks of being pretty inactive except for my walks around the neighborhood. I've sure been able to get so much done at home also.

The bigger news is that the last 3 days are the first in over a year that the nerves in my face have calmed down! It seems like 8 weeks is a big turning point for me; I can barely notice any sign of the nerve issues I was feeling before. I am hoping that it will all continue to improve. Just a few days ago I was feeling a bit discouraged when the nerves felt worse in my face and shoulder after exercising and when I was tired. So, my symptoms overall seem like they are greatly improved. I still think I have a ways to go for a total recovery. Also, as those who have Chiari know, symptoms can come and go. So, I don't know what to expect, but it all seems to be moving in the right direction. My stamina has greatly improved. I went out to do some big shopping at BJ's yesterday and was able to walk through the store and come home without feeling totally wiped out like I would previously when shopping. My neck muscles are also much stronger and as I exercise I also work on stretches with my neck. Since starting to use Mederma my incision scar has smoothed out and diminished.

8 weeks post-op

Now...what to do with my hair??? For now I am happy to not be blow drying, letting it dry on it's own and clipping back the long parts. I have one long section in the back at the crown that covers my scar and short hair. Then I have two long bits of hair on each side with no long hair in the back; it's pretty well camouflaging that I had surgery. I usually just wear a scarf when I go out so it's not noticeable that my hair is all wacky in the back. Let's see how long I can go without cutting it. For now I'm just cutting my bangs as needed.

This morning when I was waking up I was thinking about how God has answered my prayers for healing. It's so nice to wake up feeling good. Over the years I have prayed for answers to what was going on with my body. For God to reveal it or for my symptoms to just go away. Of course this past year I became even more urgent for an answer to be revealed. This morning as I was thinking about it all, I thought about how God must have chosen just the right time in my life to expose things. I really don't know the answer to why now, but that's how I'm thinking about it right now. I know that God has his own timing and he knows what's best for us; we just need to trust it since it doesn't always appear that way. I just feel so blessed to be retired and not to feel all the daily pressures of work, so it has been a great time for me to have a surgery and recover. We're so blessed that Bob has an incredible career that allows for me to be home and that our insurance through his work has paid for nearly all of my surgery expenses. We're so blessed to have such dear friends that have helped us through this time. So grateful!

7 Weeks Post-op

Time Flies

Hard to believe it's been 7 weeks since my decompression surgery. I am feeling really good and trying to get back to regular activities. I do get quite tired after being out at a store or any type of event after just a short time. My neck can start to tense up, which will effect my shoulder and I'll then start to feel some numbness in my face. Then I go home so exhausted it's incredible. I started going back to Retro Fitness with Bob a couple of days this week. I can't do much; I'm walking on the treadmill for a half hour. By that time I start to feel so hot and a bit weak. I'll try to push myself a bit more this coming week. Bob is hoping that I'll be able to ski this year. I'm just not sure that my legs will even be strong enough. It's amazing that after  6 weeks of inactivity and then not exercising that my legs and knees seem so weak that it's hard to even walk up stairs.

My nerves have really seemed to have calmed down so much. I am really waiting to regain my strength and get back to a more normal way of living to see how I feel in the long run. I started keeping a symptom log, marking on drawings of a person where my symptoms are and keeping brief notes each day. When I go back to see Dr. Tyagi in January I'd like to be able to be clear about the progression of healing or if they nerves have healed. When I saw her last time I felt like the nerves were responding a bit differently, but I was still having so much pain in my shoulder and arm so it was hard to tell what results I was having from the surgery. I hope that keeping a clear symptom journal will tell give a more clear picture of what has been happening. Most of the nerve issues I had in my neck, shoulder and left arm and leg have either disappeared or are considerably better. The one thing that I notice most consistently is the numbness in the left side of my face and some tension or spot nerve pain in my left shoulder. It isn't as bad or the same as it was before surgery, but is still there. I am hopeful that as my neck muscles heal completely and I get back my strength and return to regular activity that my nerves will recover from all the compression.

Two must haves for healing

This week I started using Mederma on my incision and the scar from the catheter that was in the artery in the front of my neck. I had heard of Mederma before, but guess I didn't remember it and I've only been putting vitamin E oil on the incision. The Mederma seems to have immediately started working to heal the incision. Part of the incision that was a bit more bubbly right away started flattening out. It has also caused the incision to be extremely itchy as it heals. I've been wondering why it wasn't becoming more itchy before this. I had already bought some Lanacane spray because I know how unbearably itchy the healing can be. Once in awhile I have to use the Lanacane spray right before bed or the itchiness will drive me a bit crazy while I'm trying to fall asleep.

I could make a list of necessary items for Chiari decompression surgery...
In the beginning, the only things you really need are:

• a nice soft pillow
• straws - it's too hard to bend your head back to drink
• a good lip balm
• and of course your pain meds

Later on you'll need:

• Mederma
• Lanacane

I remember when I first came back from the hospital and I was lying on the couch hardly able to move. I was so thirsty, but didn't know how I was going to take a drink unless I could remember where I had put the straws in my kitchen. In the hospital they automatically give you a straw; I think they should prep you for this type of surgery by telling you that you need to have some straws on hand at home. When I finally remember where I had put the straws it was such a big relief....they were the most important thing to have at the time. I still need to keep water on the night stand because I wake up so thirsty in the night and I don't want to get up to get to go downstairs for water. While I can bend my head back to drink now, I still use a straw for my water at night. I don't have to sit all the way up to take a drink so it's really nice and easy...love it!