I've been doing too much and it always catches up with me. Two days ago, I couldn't get out of bed. I was too exhausted. Brain tumors suck. It always works like this. As long as I get 12+ hours of solid sleep each night, I can function really well. If I get less than 12 hours, my head throbs constantly, I'm exhausted, I'm dizzy, my mind's cloudy, and I am unable to function. I'm not even capable of reading a book, it's too tiring. The worst part, is that I'm unable to nap when I'm at my worst. I just look like a zombie, shuffling to the bathroom and back to bed. I swivelled to the foot of the bed so that I could stare at bingie my gray cat. Luckily, he sleeps all day so I had company.
When I'm doing well, and I'm rested, I feel like I can conquer the world. I'm ready to try and take buses, or walk around the lake, even cook a new recipe, but when I crash, I really crash. It's exhausting.
Also, when I'm exhausted, and without enough sleep, the screw in the front of my skull hurts more severely. I can't remember if I've mentioned the fact that I have a screw loose. Literally. I started noticing it in May. At first my oncologist's nurse said it was a ball of nerve endings, not a screw, but I had a feeling she was wrong. I kept telling Danny that it's a screw, and it's going to get worse. When I went to the headache specialist in July, she said it was noticeably the screw from the brain surgery. Apparently, my body is slowly rejecting it. The only thing they can do is another surgery, but at this point I feel I'm better off managing the pain by getting enough sleep and using over the counter medication.
I never thought that the screws would come loose. I assumed that surgery was a one time deal, or until tumor growth. Apparently, according to my doctors, it's very common to have your body reject screws, it's just not supposed to happen for years and years. I wonder how long it will take my horn to be noticeable to others, right now I can disguise it with my poofy bangs. Maybe I'll be a devil for Halloween since I already have part of the costume. Or, I guess I could be a lopsided unicorn. Either way, at least I have options.
Oct 7, 2011
Oct 3, 2011
Tossing Frizzy Hair To The Wind
I read a quote today that really got me thinking. "It's only in the present moment that we find real happiness, love, or wisdom." If we're reminiscing about the past or anticipating the future, we're not enjoying our life as it is. I'm completely guilty of that. It's impossible to always be in the moment, but I think it behooves me to just take things as they come.
I enjoy fond memories, and I love my time in fantasy land for the future, but truly, my happiness is definitely in a single moment, changing into the next single moment. It's as simple as watching a squirrel bound across the street. Life is always changing, it is never stagnant.
It's hard not to anticipate upcoming events, like my next MRI on the 25th, but I am making a conscious effort to just take it easy. To me, taking it easy, is finding things in my surroundings that make me smile. It's as simple as the smell from the laundry when I'm folding clean clothes. Or, it's a leaf that's suspended in an almost invisible spiderweb imitating a baby bird (that actually happened this morning - it was freaky).
Living in Greenlake has opened me up to a whole new world. There are cars driving past our window, kids walking to school, joggers racing by, squirrels running with nuts in their mouths, and the wind constantly swirling things all over the place. I feel alive here. When I'm stressed (for example just about an hour ago), I bundle up, walk over to the lake and wander around on the path. I have a massive park just outside my doorstep. It's unbelievable. Earlier, I even went in the rain. For my college friends, they will be shocked. In the past, I blow dried my hair to perfection, then either flat ironed it or made the perfect waves to look natural. If my hair was going to get ruined by weather, I wouldn't go outside. It's embarrassing. Now, I toss on a raincoat, lace up my sneakers, and throw frizzy hair to the wind. What a change!
I feel lucky. I'm happy to be alive.
I enjoy fond memories, and I love my time in fantasy land for the future, but truly, my happiness is definitely in a single moment, changing into the next single moment. It's as simple as watching a squirrel bound across the street. Life is always changing, it is never stagnant.
It's hard not to anticipate upcoming events, like my next MRI on the 25th, but I am making a conscious effort to just take it easy. To me, taking it easy, is finding things in my surroundings that make me smile. It's as simple as the smell from the laundry when I'm folding clean clothes. Or, it's a leaf that's suspended in an almost invisible spiderweb imitating a baby bird (that actually happened this morning - it was freaky).
Living in Greenlake has opened me up to a whole new world. There are cars driving past our window, kids walking to school, joggers racing by, squirrels running with nuts in their mouths, and the wind constantly swirling things all over the place. I feel alive here. When I'm stressed (for example just about an hour ago), I bundle up, walk over to the lake and wander around on the path. I have a massive park just outside my doorstep. It's unbelievable. Earlier, I even went in the rain. For my college friends, they will be shocked. In the past, I blow dried my hair to perfection, then either flat ironed it or made the perfect waves to look natural. If my hair was going to get ruined by weather, I wouldn't go outside. It's embarrassing. Now, I toss on a raincoat, lace up my sneakers, and throw frizzy hair to the wind. What a change!
I feel lucky. I'm happy to be alive.
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