Pep Talks #2

Time for an update and another round of Pep Talks--during which I will give you all a little insight into my brain and the quirks that my body is experiencing as a result brain surgery Alien Removal.

Quirk #1:  My sense of taste has returned fully and a big thanks goes out to all of you who have brought yummy food to my house to entice my taste buds to return.

Dear Taste Buds:
Good work!  Carry on. 
Go Team.

Quirk #2: My hair is now just long to pinch between my fingers.  It's much darker than before.  And it looks a whole heckuva lot like Demi Moore's hair in G.I. Jane...although NO hair grows on my incision, so my previous assessment that I would look like G.I.-Frankenstein-Jane was accurate.  Unfortunately, there are more greys than I would like. 

Dr. C tells me there aren't that many grey hairs, but he's my husband and he's supposed to tell me comforting little lies like that.

Dear Hair:
I can see you are trying.  But you need to pick up the pace.  And if all these grey hairs stick around, when you are long enough and my incision is all the way healed, I will be picking a new color. 
Consider yourself warned.
Go Team.

Quirk #3: The clean freak part of me also went away...must have just been a fluke.  I am now back to my regular "like it to be clean, but let's be realistic when there are 3 children around" self. 

Dr. C is disappointed.

Dear OCD Personality:
Come back during spring cleaning.
Go Team.

Quirk #4: Sleep is still weird.  Some nights I have no problem falling asleep, other nights I still have insomnia.  If I do fall asleep, I can now sleep for about 6 hours straight and I am pretty much completely conked out in the Dr.-C-wonders-if-I-died type sleep.  Alarming for him, completely restful for me.  I still need naps during the day and that still varies greatly--sometimes I need 3 naps of 3 hours each.  Other days I just need one good 2 hour nap and I'm fine.  Just depends on the day.

Dear Sleep Cycles:
You are making gains, but now let's work on consistency. 
Sleep at night, regular naps during the day.
Go Team.

Quirk #5: My left wrist is pretty much healed and back to working like normal, although it still gets cold and achey when I have overdone the day.  Who knows how long that will last?

Dear Left Wrist:
Thanks for coming back to the team.  I needed you.  For the present, I will overlook your minor shortcomings because I know you have been through a lot. 
Keep it up.
Go Team.

Quirk #6: My left side is doing better but I still have a ways to go.  My left leg in particular is where I am having the most issues.  It constantly feels COLD, although to the touch, it feels the same temperature as the rest of my body.  And if you drew a line down the middle of my leg, the outside part still responds slower than normal.  (I can see something touching it, then later I can feel it).  I am walking better and I no longer need the walker or cane, but after I've walked for a bit, I have to sit down and stretch that leg out or I start limping again and it aches like mad.  Most times, it feels tight and just Different. 
Hard to explain.

Dear Left Leg:
Warm up! 
Get moving!
Go Team.

Quirk #7: I have partially lost the filters that block out unnecessary sensory information like background noises, lots of different colors, smells, objects, etc.  Without those filters, it's a MAJOR sensory overload. It's like every sensation, sight, and sound is being pounded into my brain at full force.  Someone whispering 3 feet behind me feels like they are shouting in my ear.  Thankfully, it doesn't happen all the time--for the most part if I'm at home, I'm okay. 

The worst was right when I woke up after surgery. 

Last week, I tried to go to church but only made it about half-way through Sacrament Meeting when I was so overwhelmed with all the sensory input that I had put my coat over my head, close my eyes and have Dr. C drive me home immediately.  It was awful. 

I went to church yesterday and I made it all the way through Sacrament Meeting this time, but I had to book it to the car as fast as my cold left leg would allow afterward or the sensory overload would have caused me to throw up.

Nice.

I have a whole new level of empathy for people with Sensory Integration disorders.

Dear Sensory Filters:
Where are you?  I need you to help me sift through all the information that constantly bombards people all the time.  Please help me block out the sound of rustling clothes and book pages turning.  Please help me tune out someone's bright shirt or all of the cars whizzing by on the freeway. 
Sorry I took you for granted in the past.
Go Team.

Quirk #8: My ability to do simple math has also been impacted.  I used to be great at math, but the other day when I tried to divide 12 by 2, I thought hard and came up with 4.  It was only when Dr. C chuckled that I realized my mistake and changed my answer to 3, then finally to 6.

Yay.

I did correctly factor out the number 50 though, so apparently not all is lost.

I haven't decided if this means I should always be the one to help T-Man and Fearless with their math homework so I can learn it all again...or if it means Dr. C should be the one to do it because right now my skills can't be trusted.

Dear Math Skills:
I know I thought it was silly when my teachers used to tell me that I would use you everyday, but I was wrong and they were right.  I used to get along really well with you...we even won awards together back in the day! 
Sorry I took you for granted in the past.
Let's get together again soon.
Go Team.

Quirk #9: My fingers are now emoticon addicts.  They automatically type little smiley faces or hearts on everything I type.  And sometimes?  They type two, three, even four (!) emoticons in a facebook post.  It is only when I re-read what I've typed that I notice the overabundance of smiling, frowning, and tongue-sticking-out yellow circles. 

I don't mind a few of those, occasionally...but EVERY post and more than ONE?!?

Sheesh. :P

Just. Can't. Stop.  :)

Please forgive me if I've emoticoned all over you.

Dear Fingers:
Stop the madness!!
Go Team.