Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Bell's Palsy Update - Four Months Later

I could go on and on...and on...about this misery known as Bell's Palsy, and about how confounded I am at having to write yet another update instead of an ending. About how certain I was that it would be just a lingering memory of a bad dream by now, instead of this continuing nightmare. About...well, you get my drift.

So, let's not dwell on the gloomy. Let's find some silver linings, how about it?

Silver lining #1: the damage that Bell's did to the left side of my face starting on June 24th is almost completely erased, four months later. My eyebrow is very nearly where it should be...in line with the right eyebrow...and I can raise it "like normal." The drooping and sagging of my left eye have almost completely disappeared...so, thankfully I no longer give the appearance of having had a stroke. I can wink!

Silver Lining #2: my hearing is back to normal, and I have zero jaw pain. I don't have to rely on any meds specifically treating Bell's symptoms. Hooray!

Silver Lining #3: my speech is almost back to normal...just a bit of slurring with Ps, Bs, Fs, and Ss when I am tired...or when I try to talk too fast. When I smile, you can see teeth...top and bottom. And, I can whistle!

Continuing with this whole weather metaphor, I have only a couple clouds to contend with:

Cloud #1: When I'm tired, my blink response in the left eye gets "lazy," for the lack of a better word. I must still use artificial tears several times daily...and remember to blink.

Cloud #2: I still struggle with eating "thick" foods like hamburgers and sub sandwiches. I have to either take sandwiches apart or smoosh the fat ones down. And I still must cut all foods into small bites, especially lettuce in salads. I just can't get my mouth open wide enough yet, nor do I have complete feeling back in my lower lip. My smile is lopsided still, and probably is the most telling reminder of the paralysis which once held the left side of my face hostage.

So it's now Silver Linings=3, Clouds=2. The score is tilting in my favor...finally. Both my Speech Therapist on Tuesday and my GP today assured me that The End is just around the corner; I should be able to put this all behind me when the Holidays are upon us. Three or four more weeks, "tops."

Let's hope I won't need to write too many more updates or publish too many more documentation photos.

Five (months) could just be the charm!

P. S. As enquiring minds might wish to know, my right eye continues to recover from cataract surgery with alacrity. I'll be hap, hap, happy when I can get my prescription lens updated, as I feel a bit wobbly while looking at the world through my old specs. That should happen in a couple of weeks.

========================
Documentation Photos for Day #122

Saturday, October 20, 2012

No Regrets

"I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't."
-Lucille Ball

No regrets. That's what Mom said last summer when I asked if she had any regrets about her life. She was in Hospice Home, in the final stage of lung cancer. Isn't that a marvelous thing to be able to say at end of a long, productive life?

Of course, I didn't wish to remind her of the one regret I could ever remember her mentioning...something she hadn't done instead of something she had. A year or so after Daddy died, she went on a cruise to Alaska with a Senior group from Pickerington, OH. She didn't expect to enjoy it as much as she did. She had a blast, including that once-in-a-lifetime helicopter ride out to a glacier! After that trip, she said "I wish I had done that when your Daddy was alive. He always wanted to go to Alaska, and he would have loved every minute of that cruise." Ah well...

So now that's become my personal guiding light. No regrets. Not if I can help it.

And that's how I wound up in Orlando with Missy M at Disney World this week.

Did I need to be in the heat and humidity of Florida, where it felt more like August than October, before I have fully regained the stamina that Bell's Palsy has robbed from me? No.

Did I need to be in the brutally bright tropical sunlight so soon after cataract surgery? No.

Was I fully ready to handle the heat, humidity, eyeball-blistering light, AND the crowds? Oh h3ll no!

Do I regret going? Not in the very least! Lucille Ball was right.

Missy M and I have tried to get together for what I have called our annual Mother-Daughter Bonding Trip (MDBT) every year since we travelled together for a week in Washington in 2001 or 2002. Actually, the idea was probably germinated in 1998, when she and I spent a couple of months together in Sophia-Antipolis, France, while I was on assignment for SEMA Group Telecoms and she was on break from college. Good grief! That was over 14 years ago!!

Anyway, when M made plans to attend a training conference on the WDW property, she asked if I wanted to go with her...and play with Mickey the week prior to her conference. I couldn't say "yes!" fast enough. (I am my mother's daughter, after all..."Edith's got one foot in the road and the other crooked to hop"...as Nananny once said about her. Me? I keep a suitcase half-packed and handy at all times!) Having lived in Kissimmee for a brief time, and having enjoyed the benefits offered to Missy M when she worked at Epcot in the College program 2002-3, I'm a big fan. And it's always fun to see what's changed. Our last visit was 3 years ago...and there have been many changes and updates. Plus, Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival is in October...need I say more?

Both of us have battled health problems this year, as you are well-aware. M is still dealing with issues related to her broken foot, and Disney World is known for being spread out. Yet both of us were determined to do this MDBT this year. Determined was actually too mild to describe us. Try resolved, resolute, driven.

M wore a pedometer every day to see how many steps we did:
Wednesday - 21,855 steps (Hollywood Studios)
Thursday - 21,387 steps (Epcot)
Friday - 16,824 steps (Magic Kingdom)
...for a grand total of...drum roll, please...60,066 steps!
If you consider that M's "step" is about 2.25 feet, and that there are 5,280 feet in a mile...well, you can see that we averaged about 8.5 miles of walking each day!

What happened on Friday, you are probably asking? Well, in short, we hit The Wall. Remember I mentioned heat, humidity, intense sunlight, and overwhelming crowds? Yeah. By late afternoon on Friday, we had both endured about all of the above that we could take. Or, as M said: "Tink! My pop-up timer has come out. I'm done!!" We were too tired to stay for the fireworks...now that's tired, folks!

No matter. We enjoyed the time together as much as the trip itself...more, even.

So, Patricia...what was your favorite part of the parks this time? I loved the Behind the Seeds Tour of the sustainable agriculture greenhouses in the Living with the Land pavilion in Epcot. Fantastic!! Disney...and gardening...be still my beating heart! I also loved the Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood Studios every bit as much as I did 3 years ago...what can I say? My inner Buzz Lightyear is strong.

Here are some of the shots I took on the Seeds Tour to share with you:

First up, turnips growing big in sand:


Then, a pepper bush gets a Mickey haircut:


And finally, can you see Mickey in Red Sails lettuce in the back? Soon, the front lettuces will say "Epcot":



So, today was my travel-home day, with a flight back into Raleigh where Mr. T picked me up. Tonight, Duke is playing North Carolina in football. Busy day. No worries...tomorrow, I can rest.

Any regrets? Not a one. Not a single one.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Bell's Palsy Update - Week 16 Begins

Not a lot to report today. Not many changes noticed...but no "backsliding" either. That's always good news, right?!

Will be taking a little break from Speech Therapy this week...more on that in my next post from _______...can you guess? I'll keep you in suspense for a bit. Big grin!

Until then, here are the Documentation Photos - Day 114:




Friday, October 12, 2012

Quick Update

Dear Readers,

I know several of you aren't Facebook fanatics...yet...:~\. So I wanted to share what I posted there this morning with you.

Let me say it twice: it's a great day in HPNC!


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Kitchen Redo Redux

Remember I told you about getting new countertops installed back in June? (Refresh your memory here.) Out with the ugliest Formica in the World...in with the prettiest Brazilian granite we could find...White Spring. ¡Eu adoro!

Of course, as I spent my Summer in lovely Looeyvul, and I've been otherwise occupied since my return to HPNC, the Kitchen Redo stalled. Not that I haven't thought about finishing it...many times, I've gone online to drool over the bazillion tile selections. I just haven't had the time or energy...or the ability to see clearly enough to make good color choices...in order to make anything happen. Well, that's about to change.

I went to Lowe's yesterday to get some Mumkins (bright yellow mums in orange pumpkin pots, decorated like Jack-o'-Lantern faces) for the front steps. I have two of the same pots from last year, which are now sporting some cuttings I took from Missy M's mums and rooted earlier this year...believe it or not, they are flowering! But, I thought the steps needed a little more flower-power, don't you know? Especially since everything else is winding down for the season.

Anyway. As these things happen, you go shopping for one thing...and wind up with something else entirely. Can you relate?

I drifted from the Garden Center with my mums inside to the Tile area, and proceeded to spend the better part of an hour mixing and matching kitchen tile backsplash possibilities. I then decided to buy a few of this and one or two of that and take it all home to work with.

And that's how my counter came to look like this.


It's a puzzle, really. A mystery. And I do love a good mystery. Only...I'm not so good with more than three options...makes my head spin and my interest in the project switch to "off." So, with Mr. T's help, I am narrowing down the choices before I get too frustrated.

While I was in the tile aisle, I talked to a man who had just tiled his bathroom. He assured me that a kitchen backsplash was a doable DIY project IF you did these four things:

1. Know ahead of time EXACTLY how you want it to look. (Hence the tile puzzle currently on my breakfast bar.)
2. Measure everything to the 1/16" and draw it all out on paper (Hence getting Mr. T involved...he's the "measure twice, cut once" woodworker in the family...and also the resident draftsman. I can't draw stick people.)
3. NEVER start the project when you have something special happening. He said his wife's parents were coming this week, and she was "driving him crazy" to get his project done! (Point taken. I promise not to wait until Thanksgiving week to start my project.)
4. ALWAYS buy more than you think you'll need. You may not be able to find an exact match if you run out. (As a knitter, I'm already on board with that concept.) He was there yesterday because he needed just three more tiles of a certain size to finish his project...and the HP Lowe's didn't have them, nor did the Winston, Asheboro, or Wilkesboro stores. Lesson learned, Tile Master.

So, here's what I know for sure.

A. I want glossy, white tiles as the main element in this backsplash. This kitchen has a great feature in corner windows over the sink, but as one window faces north and the other faces a tree-shaded west, the natural light is weak. We need the reflectivity that glossy white tiles can provide. Plus white is the main colorway in the granite.
B. I want to use a subway tile pattern and size of the tiles. I like that look.
C. I want to incorporate some hammered copper tiles we have left over from our kitchen redo in MO. (Remember: buy more than you'll need!) I love the warmth that copper gives to a space, and with all that white...we'll probably need some sources of warmth! Plus, one of the accent colors in the granite is a reddish hue, which the copper will pick up nicely. (The other accent color is black.)
D. Without going overboard, I want to include some glass tiles...or mosaic tiles...or possibly both...as accents.

So, this Kitchen Redo Redux post will be...continued. Stay tuned!



Monday, October 8, 2012

Bell's Palsy Update - Week 15 Begins

October? Is it really October?! Good grief. I would never have believed you if you had told me on July 4th that I would still be doing these updates on Columbus Day. Sigh.

Of course, the big difference is that I doubted whether I'd fully recover around Labor Day, didn't I? Now? I know I will make it...even if I have to see another Holiday or two before I can put a period on The End of this tale.

Speaking of Holidays, I spent this one decorating for the next one...Halloween. Or, as I remember having to spell it in a fifth grade spelling bee: Hallow'e'en. Check out the dining room table in this picture.



A note about the pumpkin centerpiece: that's an heirloom "pie" pumpkin from Old Salem. We made it to Members Saturday weekend-before-last and picked this big, fat, dumpling to come home with us. I have a Black Cat decoration for October (shown) and a Turkey for November. I hope to harvest the seeds and save them for next year's garden...and maybe even get enough "meat" to make a pumpkin pie.

OK, time for my report...and the Documentation Photo.

I'm really doing well with my Bell's recovery. I can even manage a "half-toothed" smile, as my Speech Therapist says. Top teeth are visible on both sides of my mouth...hooray! My lower lip continues to have some paralysis, midline/left side...with just a touch left on the top/center. My eyebrow is almost completely back to normal, with just a bit of an issue with a lazy blink response in my left eye.

Speaking of eyes...I'll throw in an update on my right eye recovery from cataract surgery. Cover it all in one post, eh?

I think things are going well with that, too. I'm wearing my glasses (as I still need them for the left eye...and for the bifocals...and to provide some protection from light and debris), and I am pleased as punch with being able to see without the former hazy "window sheer" effect. I still have to use the drops (3 kinds, 3x daily...one of which gives me a brief headache), and I'm still super-sensitive to light. I see Dr. T on Thursday for my one-week checkup.

So, all in all...it's good news all around!

About time, you might be saying. About d*mn time!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Documentation Photos, Day 105:
(sans makeup, which has been banned by the eye dr for this first week after surgery)

First, smile!



Then, big smile!!


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Arrrggghhh...Again

Well, I've got my Pirate on...again. Wearing the eye patch...again, only on my right eye this time.

Yep...had my cataract surgery today.

So, how did that go?

Here's what I shared with the Bros and SILs in an email tonight:


Well, glad that's done!

The surgery itself was much easier than I'd anticipated. The IV insertion, however, was every bit as traumatic as feared and then some. Oh well, me and my teeny, tiny uncooperative veins.

Since I had to be at the surgery center at 6:45 this morning, I was done by 9:00...and eating breakfast at Carolina's Diner by 9:30. All seemed well until we got home, and this massive softball-sized "headache" descended over my eye socket...and wouldn't go away, even with Advil and Tylenol.

Finally feeling better this evening. Eye is patched, so I can't tell anything about it. Dull remnant of headache. And my arms and hands and feet are tingling like they are "asleep." Not sure about that? See the dr at 8:00 tomorrow to remove eye patch. Hopefully it'll be smooth sailing after that.

And, my Bell's Palsy continues to respond positively to my twice-weekly visits to the Speech Therapist. The End of this nightmare is just around the corner...I can just feel it.

As I wrote to (cousin) MAF and shared in conversation with MG pal JA recently, I won't know what to do with myself when I can (1) see clearly out of both eyes (no cataract; no Bell's Palsy), (2) speak clearly and eat properly (no Bell's), and (3) stand up straight for a change (no back or vertigo problems)!



A girl can dream, right?!



Monday, October 1, 2012

A Very Special Day Indeed

Midnight:  I think that might have been a twinge.  No, maybe not.

4:00 a.m.:  Ah, felt it again.  Possibly more than a twinge.  Maybe a pang?  No, gone again. Probably nothing.

5:00 a.m.: OK.  That was definitely more than a pang.  I do believe that was a contraction.  I think we're going to finally have this baby!
October 1, 1979.  It dawned a gorgeous Fall day, a wee bit on the warm side as Memphis is wont to get when the seasons are a'changin'. It was also Yom Kippur, holiest day of the year for the Jewish people...completing the High Holy Days...a day typically spent in synagogues in prayer. 

So, how does this once-and-future Methodist know so much about Jewish holidays, you might ask?  Well, I know about this one because when I called my obstetrician to say "I think it's time," his office staff said "Dr. K isn't in the office today.  It's Yom Kippur, you know."  Uh no, news to me. Better let me know what Plan B is...and soon, 'cause here comes another contraction!

9:00 a.m.: Yep, definitely another contraction...here we go!!
Except...

There was no "we" at that moment on the outskirts of Memphis.  There was only a "me."  The other half of the "we," the one soon to be known as Daddy, was in Nashville...200 or so miles east on Interstate 40...taking care of some business he'd thrice delayed as my September 15 due date came and went.  It then became a race to see if Mr. T could get home in time to take me to the hospital...or, if I could hold my breath long enough to make the contractions stop or at least slow down.  Hold my breath?! Yeah, it sounds silly to me, too, but at the time I remember doing just that.

Long story short...I held on, he made it in time, we had a great stand-in OB-GYN, and Missy M finally arrived by C-section, 20 minutes after midnight on the 2nd.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!  A joy then...a joy now...and a joy all the days in between.




Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

Day Number One as a Daddy

J

  A Bright, Sunny New Chapter Here’s to spending 49 years with the same Valentine! Even though our story’s Prologue began in Jackson, MS, wh...