The Busy Squirrel

Jeez. Once you start going, you're never able to stop! There's never enough time in a day. So much for Friday Harbor Stories...maybe I can integrate them into my coming blogs.

Today, Danny and I had to wake up at 5:30am to head out for my 9:00am doctor's appointment at the UW in Seattle. I'm starting back up with speech therapy. Since I will be needing radiation therapy, chemo, and multiple craniotomies in my life, I figured I needed to learn some tricks to keep my mind alert, and tricks regarding speech and cognitive stuff. I know that there are going to be times in my life when I will have to relearn many things, and the better I prepare myself the easier my life will be in the future (and easier for Danny, my mom, my dad, my bro, and anyone else that comes into contact with me). I've always a been the kind of girl that does the dishes before bed because I hate waking up to a mess - same concept, it's just regarding my brain.

Random story, I remember having to relearn brushing my teeth. The paste had been squished onto the head of the toothbrush, and I reached over and grabbed it. I then started poking the outside of my cheek with the handled end of the brush. It was bizarre. I knew something was odd, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong. That's only one story, there's a multitude of stories, and there's no guarantee that the next surgeries won't be the same situation, or even worse. I'm not trying to say that to scare anyone, it's just a reality. I'm not scared, not right now, I might be scared in the future or jeez maybe even tomorrow, but I like to prepare in advance. I'm kind of like the squirrel that has the luxury to invite the neighborhood squirrels over for dinner in the winter. I'd rather be well prepared and be able to share. 

Also, by the recommendation from my speech therapist, after this appointment I've got two more doctors to add to my team. I've got a neuro-psychologist and a rehabilitation counselor.

I should be notified in the coming days regarding my new appointments. The first is to asses my cognitive abilities. It will include a battery of tests that takes eight hours. The other doctor is a counselor that deals with patients with what they call "traumatic brain injuries." The second doctor's appointment is basically a one-on-one counseling session. I'm extremely excited for both.

I know that friends, and most of my family, think that I'm back to normal, but the truth is that I have a long way to go (and for the record I'm thrilled that I seem fine - it's a huge compliment!). In fact, I have a long road ahead of me both regarding my current recovery and then with my future health (medically, mentally, and emotionally). The best I can do, is learn tricks to be successful at all stages.