Monday, September 24, 2012

Bell's Palsy Update - Three Months

That's right, dear readers. It has now been 3 months since that Sunday when it seemed the left half of my face slid off my skull. June 24 to September 24...13 long weeks...91 interminable days. And, it ain't over yet.

Oh, I've come a long way, baby, as they say. My eyebrow droop is barely noticeable to others, I can wink my left eye without too much difficulty, and the blink response is almost completely restored...almost. Thankfully, I no longer need to tape my eyelid closed, nor do I have to deal with the waterfall of tears that poured down my cheek. I say "thankfully" because my 'bad eye' (left) is now my 'good eye,' due to the aggressive progression of the cataract in my right eye. But that's another tale for another day.

I no longer suffer the constant jaw pressure/facial pain, nor am I under the spell of the nerve medicine that alleviated the pain, but robbed me of most of my "waking" hours. Now, I only have that pain when I eat something that requires lots of enthusiastic chewing or when I talk for an extended period.

And, I am no longer using a straw to sip my morning coffee, thank goodness, plus my speech is understandable again by almost all. Yes, eating is much less a chore now, although I'm not 'there' yet. The paralysis lingers on my lower lip, making "open wide!" just a goal at this point. Still, with Tori the Speech Therapist's help, I can now manage a decent whistle, I can pronounce P, B, and F without sounding like I have a mouthful of marbles, and I make progress toward my ultimate goal of a full-toothed smile.

So, tell us something we haven't heard. OK, here goes...

I have been reluctant to be among folks I know because I have struggled with this whole speech-smile-eating in public thing. I am OK with my immediate family (well, they HAVE seen/heard me at my very, very worst, right?), and I have handled trips to the doctors, pharmacy, and rehab center...but "they" are medical professionals and have seen far worse I'm sure.

I am now answering the phone (I didn't for the first two months), and I have started initiating and/or returning calls to friends, family, and clients. (Remember, I am a trainer and a career coach, so struggling to speak and be understood has been doubly frustrating for me...not only embarrassing but also income-limiting.)

But, I made a small step forward this weekend that both encouraged and exhausted me. We returned from our Beach Trip in time to make it to the Duke football game on Saturday ...where we have season tickets. Wouldn't you know it? The Blue Devils were playing our own Memphis Tigers! And prior to the game, we were invited to a meet-&-greet with other Tiger fans, sponsored by the Alumni Association. Bit the bullet and RSVPd affirmatively.

So glad we went, even though it was tough and tiring, trying to watch my words and enunciation...as well as monitor my eating and chewing at a table with people I didn't know. But really, that was the whole point: I didn't know them...they didn't know me...and the likelihood we'd see each other again anytime soon was slim and none. "And Slim left town..." Pah-dum-pum!

Check one more milestone off my list.

Of course, by the time we'd settled into our seats for the game, I was limp as the proverbial dishrag from the efforts. Didn't regain my momentum until halftime...which corresponds almost exactly with the time that the Tigers lost theirs. Their record is now 0-4. Oh well, we've only got one way to go from here, right? Up! (Is it basketball season yet?!). And, the Blue Devils are working on a winning football season...for a change. Yea?

Anyway...

It is no secret that I wanted to be over-&-done with this misery that is Bell's by now. It appears that I will be one of those whose duration with the disease is longer than the oft-quoted "three months." Sigh.

Still, I've survived so far...seen much improvement...and continue to believe that 'normal' is just over that next crest there. So close I can almost feel it! Just a few more days...maybe a week or two. Three more months...tops, she said hopefully.

After all, what's 3 months, I ask you? Just a mere 13 weeks. 91 days. Piece o' cake, right?

Piece o' cake.

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Documentation photo time

Day 91...





...compared to Day 7




Monday, September 17, 2012

By The Beautiful Sea

Faithful readers...in posts past, you have read much and often about my Happy Place...AKA: The Beach. Hooray and hallelujah, I made it! And Mr. T and Missy M are here with me. Who could ask for anything more?

Here is the view from our balcony, where I am writing this post:


We arrived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, just as the sun was setting yesterday afternoon, after driving from HPNC in the rain much of the way. And even though the GPS (fondly known as McGee) in Mr. T's ride had difficulty finding our hotel's address, we eventually tapped into our memory banks, recalling our stay here just last September, and made it on the third try.

This Hampton is really quite a gem, having all oceanfront rooms with balconies and porch-rockers, and one of the cleanest, freshest beach properties we've ever encountered. But we were thrilled to open the door to our eighth-floor room and find that the Hilton Honors Diamond Desk had upgraded Mr. T to a two-bedroom, two-bath suite with a kitchen! Wow!! It goes a long way toward making all that travel he does and all those nights he spends in a hotel worth it.

Today has been just gorgeous here, although we can see evidence of storms out at sea. After breakfast, we headed to the beach...a very short walk indeed! We have these neat folding chairs that have their own shade-covers attached, and we staked out our spot on the sand. Missy M didn't waste any time getting into the surf, while Mr. T and I took a little stroll down the beach. Then I joined M, while T took a tan. Later, we convinced him to get wet, too.

Tonight, we're visiting The Sea Captain's House (a favorite for long-time MB vacationers) for the first time. Since we have always stayed in the Pawleys Island area until last year, we are newbies for many of the MB-area eateries. Of course, we'll have to head to some of our favs in Murrells Inlet before we go.

Tomorrow's prediction calls for rain...but we simply don't care. The three of us have wanted...no, needed this trip for so long, and we refuse to be bothered by precipitation. Unless there are gale-force winds (NOT predicted), you will probably find us right here on this balcony...reading, writing, chatting, or napping. And enjoying every peaceful moment. Ahhhh...

Cheers!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Bell's Palsy Update - Week 12

Oh yes. The saga continues. This week has brought highs and lows where my battle with Bell's Palsy is concerned. Hills and valleys. But, sad to report, not a definitive end to this really bad dream I'm living. Sigh.

High point: I've been working with my Speech Therapist Tori for a little more than a week, and I can tell a difference in the paralysis, especially around my left eyebrow and upper jaw and top lip. More importantly, both Tori and Mr. T (he of the Doubting nature) can see and hear improvements. I have a new set of facial exercises that target my mouth, tongue, jaw, and chin...and I have doing them faithfully twice a day.

On my Therapy days, Tori places 2 electrodes on my left cheek and sends electrical impulses to stimulate the nerve and muscles...while putting me through my paces with the exercises. No, it's not painful...it actually reminds me of the TENS Unit (4 electrodes) I use on my lower back when I'm having an episode of back pain. Still, I refer to the VitalStim (which is the name of the facial version of electrodes) as The Zapper...just like I call the TENS Unit. Doesn't this all sound like fun? Remember, I called this a high point!

Low point: I got confirmation of one of my primary fears. I saw my "new" ophthalmologist today about the vision problems with my right eye...AKA: the "other" eye. (My former Eye Dr has retired, and this one is in the same practice...and I like him even better!) You probably remember my saying I have developing cataracts in both eyes, with the right eye having the poorer vision? Anyway, Dr. T was clearly surprised at the speed of development of the cataract in my right eye, and said I may have the steroids (which I've taken earlier this year for my back problems and more recently for the Bell's...as well as having used a steroid-based nasal spray for years to help with my vertigo) to thank. Oh joy. Seems there is a definite link between corticosteroid use and Posterior Subcapsular Cataract, or PSC.

What's that, you ask? Here's more info than you probably wanted from The Centre for Vision Research:

Posterior subcapsular cataract develops at the back of the lens, often in the visual axis, and so affects vision rapidly and severely. The majority of people needing cataract surgery have some posterior subcapsular cataract present at that time.

The BMES demonstrated many important associations with posterior subcapsular cataract, including that the use of steroid therapy, particularly long-term use of inhaled steroids (Becotide and others) increased the risk of cataract in a moderate, dose-related manner. These findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, New Scientist, and elsewhere.


After a long appointment which included a glare test, interocular measurements, and 3 rounds of dilation drops, I wasn't surprised to find myself in the Scheduling Tech's office...putting dates on my calendar. Surgery on the right eye is scheduled for October 3. I go for pre-op testing today.

Great big, double sigh.

I know, I know...I am fortunate. This is not my great-grandmother's cataract surgery (where she was in the hospital for a week), nor is it even my mother's cataract surgery (where she had to keep her eye patched for several days). I'll be an outpatient, get to go home in a few hours, and can pretty much resume "normal" activities in a day or two. Still, I'm beginning to feel the cumulative effects of everything this year hath wrought.

Any wonder why I whole-heartedly, with no reservation whatsoever, agreed with Missy M: "I'll sure be glad when it's 2013!"?

Me, too, darling. Me, too.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

First, You Make a Roux...

The seasons are a'changin' here at Casa 3917. And what better way to welcome Fall than a big pot of Gumbo! And we've been enjoying the perfect days for it, too...daytime temps in the 70's, nightimes dropping into the 50's. I love September, don't you?

Of course, it gets a little confusing around this time of the year. Take this week for instance: we have enjoyed seeing both the Greensboro Grasshoppers in their Minor League Baseball Championship Series, as well as the Duke Blue Devils win their home football game opener. Can basketball be far behind?

Oh well...where were we? Ah, yes...Gumbo!

Now, the classic Nawlins recipe for Gumbo typically begins with "first, you make a roux..." However, for me...since our days living in Louisiana...Gumbo has always started with our favorite Pepper Shrimp recipe a couple, t'ree days before. (Not a typo. Most folks from Sout' Louisiana lost their H's long ago...:~\). And it also helps if you have some leftover chicken and ham in the fridge. Bam! As Emeril would say.

And, before you can make your roux, you have to gather together your veggies to go in your Gumbo with your meats and seafood selections. And in our case, "gather" is a literal term. So, out to the garden for some okra (also called "gumbo," which is where this savory stew got its name), tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Bam, bam!

Alas, one sad thing about September is that the Summer garden is winding down. Fewer tomatoes...fewer peppers...less okra. Sigh. I'm excited that my cotton bolls are beginning to pop open...but you can't eat cotton. At least, I don't think you can.

Back to the kitchen...

Then you get out the two heaviest pots you own...one to make the roux; one to get the veggies going and eventually to host the simmering stew.

Here we go!


After you get the party started in the pots, you will have to watch the roux closely...and stir it constantly. You want it to brown slowly, but never to scorch.

And once you get it all together for the simmering phase, you can take a little break before you prepare the rice. For me, that means a pleasant stroll through the Rose Garden...where all of the David Austin roses are reblooming. Every single bush!

Here's a beautiful bloom on one of the Gertrude Jekyll's next to to patio in the Rose Garden. I so wish you could smell it!


Did I mention how much I love September?

============================

Here you go...my recipe for Gumbo. It's a combination of about 3 or 4 Louisiana recipes to get the flavors just the way we like...adding okra, and leaving out oysters and andouille sausage. See what you think!

Gumbo

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or bacon grease...or a combination)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; cooked
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (as in leftover rotisserie chicken) - opt.
1 cup cooked smoked ham, diced (can use thick-sliced deli) - opt.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or bacon grease...or a combination)
1-2 cups okra, cut crosswise
1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 can diced tomatoes, liquid included
1 can tomato sauce
2 T. tomato paste
1 quart water, stock, or some combination - heated
1 cayenne pepper pod, whole
2-4 T. Parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (or seasoned salt), to taste - depending on whether stock was used, etc.
ground black pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Cooked rice

Directions:

1. Add 2 tablespoons each oil and flour to a heavy skillet over low heat, and whisk together quickly. Continue cooking and stirring until a dark roux forms. This can take 30-45 minutes...the lower the heat, the longer it takes, and the better it tastes! Watch carefully.
2. Meanwhile, in a heavy Dutch oven-type pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir in okra and cook until okra is tender; add bell pepper, celery, and onion, and cook until transparent; then add garlic, stirring constantly to keep the garlic from burning.
3. When roux is ready, add the HEATED liquid (water, stock, or some combination), as cold liquid will cause the roux to curdle. Continue to stir until liquid begins to thicken. Add this to the pot with the cooked vegetables.
4. Mix in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Add salt, pepper, fresh parsley, and the cayenne pepper pod. Stir in cooked chicken and/or ham if desired. Cover, and cook slowly for 60 minutes.
5. Stir in cooked shrimp. Cook and stir for a few minutes, with the lid off. Adjust seasonings. If too thick, add a little tomato juice or stock (chicken or fish).
6. Serve in large bowls over a mound of hot, cooked rice, along with cornbread muffins. Enjoy!




Thursday, September 6, 2012

That Was Fun!

Yesterday was Mr. T's birthday, and (miraculously) he was in town (read that: "not on the road again"). Hooray! Of course, that had more to do with the Labor Day Holiday on Monday making for a short work-week and other folks not being available because of that than with it being his birthday...but, hey, it was a gift, nonetheless.

We were thrilled when Missy M called last week to say she was coming for a visit over the weekend. I don't mind admitting I have missed my "roomie" for most of the past three months...and my two four-legged grand-dogs. So their visit was a real treat...and timely, when you consider she would be here to help celebrate her Dad's birthday, if just a wee bit early.

When I asked on Saturday what flavor of cake he'd like, I was happy to hear "chocolate with white icing," which is my fav, too. Yum! Here's a photo of the end result, which we fired up (the candles were actually sparkler-versions!) over the weekend, after grilling a couple of racks of ribs.


Also, we headed to Durham for our first football game of the season, enjoying a WIN by Duke over Florida International. We had our pre-game tailgate picnic, and we saw fireworks at halftime! That was a real treat, since most Duke football games are day-games...and rarely dark enough for fireworks. Remarkably, I was able to get a couple of decent shots of the fireworks...before the smoke became the main attraction. (There was NO wind to blow it away...:~\). Here's one of them:


Sounds like a return to normal activity, right? Well, almost. All the walking we did on campus was quite a challenge for Missy M's recently-healed foot. And, since I am still searching for my "normal" store of energy, the activities had pretty much depleted my reserves by the 4th quarter. So when M "hinted" that it was time to go with over 10 minutes left on the clock, she got no argument from me...AKA she-who-never-leaves-a-game-before-it-is-over.

Then, on the REAL day (Wednesday), Mr. T and I tried out a new restaurant in Winston-Salem called Milner's American Southern Cuisine and Cocktails. Well, new to us, that is. Enjoyed great food (he had the mahi-mahi on shrimp creole and Carolina rice, and I got the crab cakes with collards...after an appetizer of fried okra with remoulade sauce!) and a great time together. I could get used to this dining out together mid-week!

Speaking of which (being together throughout the week), this birthday puts Mr. T officially in the Retirement Red Zone. And, barring unforeseen circumstances, we will continue with our plan of business as usual. For how long? Subject to change, of course. The current plan is for 6 more years, which will give him 20 years with Mitsubishi Fuso...and me Medicare coverage. Who knew we would be making retirement decisions based on how costly health care is?

We aren't the only ones working the Retirement Plan. Bro J and SIL J will sooner-than-later be "neighbors," as they are exchanging their 'Ville: goodbye Nash-...hello Ashe-! They aren't ready to make the transition yet...but they are getting there...or, rather here! The refurbing is underway at their new-to-them mountain retreat, which will eventually be their retirement Shangri-La. Glad they could sort out their work schedule for a visit to NC this week.

So, slowly but surely, life as I knew it is returning. I still have an issue with my Bell's Palsy, but I am seeing a Speech Therapist for help...have my second appointment this afternoon, as a matter of fact. She gave me several new exercises to do, and today I start with an electrical stimulation to that facial nerve with a zapper called VitalStim. Woo hoo! Doesn't that sound like fun?!

Remember...eye on the prize. Slowly but surely...



Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Bell's Palsy Update - Week 11 Begins

Week 11. Really? Really.

Yes, I'm still dealing with Bell's Palsy. I have come a long way since that scary Sunday in late June, 72 days ago...but I still have a few miles to go to reach full recovery. Sigh.

The good news? If you were to glance at my face, you probably wouldn't notice anything wrong. The paralysis that has contorted the left side of my face has released enough of the hold on my mouth and eyebrow that...until I try to smile normally...or speak...you wouldn't notice anything not-normal. Until I try to smile...or speak.

But wait.

As you recall, I had three benchmarks I was aiming for: whistle, wink, and full-toothed smile. As of this morning's facial exercises, I can check-off 2 out of the 3. Full marks on the wink...partial credit for the whistle, as it still needs work...still working on the smile.

It's my mouth where the paralysis continues to reside. Feels like an old-fashioned clothespin clipped to my top and bottom lip, just to the left of center...making a normal smile a dream and normal speech still difficult. Difficult, but no longer as garbled.

Toward that end, at my visit last week, Dr. K (my Primary Care doc) recommended that I see a Speech Therapist for evaluation and recommendation of specific exercises for specific facial muscles. And that happens this afternoon. Should be interesting.

BTW, Dr. K also said his "personal record" for a recovering Bell's patient was one year. He thinks, with the help of a Speech Therapist, I should be "back to normal" between the three- and six-month mark. Since I'm only a week or two from that 3-month date, I can live with that. Whoa! Did you think you'd ever hear those words from me?!

Looking back over the last 73 days, I never thought I would still be dealing with this for so long. I just couldn't wrap my mind around a three-month recovery period. Even though I was the one who knew someone who had been on disability for...remember? Three months.

You would think I would have taken the hint.

Ok. Time for the Documentation Photo, Day 72. Hard to tell much difference since the last one (except for the shirt color and the hair cut...:~\), but there really is. The photos that show the most improvement are the ones I haven't been brave enough to post... the ones with the full-toothed smile...maybe one day.

Maybe...
==========================

Day #72 with Bell's Palsy...off to see the Speech Therapist...

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