Bell's Palsy Update - Month 5 Ends

Blah, blah, blah...Bell's Palsy...blah, blah, blah. Yeah, it's still with me. But it's definitely fourth quarter in this game...and I do believe I am winning.

Honestly, there really isn't much more I can say about my bout with Bell's that I haven't already said...with the possible exception of saying The End. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm oh-so-close. I still have some paralysis, stubbornly hanging on to the lower left portion of my bottom lip, probably more noticeable to me than to anyone else. When I'm tired or stressed or try to talk too fast, it's much more noticeable. And, though I've mastered...for the most part...my Ss, Bs, and Ps, I'm still doing my speech therapy exercises with my F-words...:-). You remember? "Phil fell fifty feet."

In a related note, I picked up my new-new glasses this afternoon. Better than the last time around...not quite as good as I'd hoped. I am not experiencing the nauseating sensations like I was before finding out I had a condition known as anisometropia, so I'm guessing the correction in the right lens is on target. Still, I do feel some bit of discombobulation, for the lack of a better word. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever again will I be complacent about "normal" vision! Or normal anything, for that matter!!

I'm going to need all my energy to be focused...not on Bell's issues or vision problems...but on an upcoming trip. You know I have mentioned Miss Caroline, my former piano teacher? She and Momma were "Henning Friends," graduating from RHS, Class of '38. After Momma died, she and I kept up almost-weekly phone chats and regular correspondence, and she has become like a Second Mother, filling a hole in my heart. An only child of only children, she never married...so, no children, no grandchildren. I like to believe I have given her not only continuity with "her old life," but also a measure of feeling loved.

Alas, her body is wearing out. She's been battling a persistent kidney infection for weeks now, and she is growing weaker with each day. I think I have gotten my various health issues controlled enough to be trusted out on I-40...which is exactly where I plan to be Thursday morning. More on that in my next post, I'm sure. Remember, no regrets.

I'll sign off this post with the Documentation Photos, taken on Day #154...the beginning of Month #6. And, yes...before you ask. Those glasses are really old. Really, really old.
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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!

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?!