Brain Surgery - The 2013 Edition

FAIR WARNING: This post contains a few pictures of my incision with and without staples. I don't think they are gruesome, PG rated even. There's no blood, but it is a 5 inch incision at the back of my head held together with staples. I understand if some people wouldn't want to see that.

Monday, the 7th, was the surgery. We got to the hospital bright and early at 6:00am. Our dear friends, the Doltons watched the girls for us the day of the surgery.

My support team in the pre-op room.

Mommy. I just started crying all over again. I'm so glad
and grateful she was here. There are not words.

And my husband. The man who deserves an award for husband and father of the century.

Wheeling me off to surgery. If it was going to be
my last picture, I wanted to go out smiling :)

The surgeon told us it should be about a 3 hour procedure, maybe a little longer since they'd be working through the scar tissue from the last time. The procedure consists of removing part of the skull, shaving off part of the top vertebrae, removing some of the soft tissue from the cerebellum tonsils, shrinking back the tonsils, and patching it up from there. Obviously I had already had all this done, so they were going to go in, do the same thing taking out a little bit more of everything, basically any and everything that could be taken out in hopes that it won't recur again.

Instead of 3 hours, the whole thing took 7. Apparently there was quite a bit of bony regrowth at the previous skull removal spot. This complicated the surgery a bit and was especially difficult to remove, but eventually they were able to complete everything successfully. 

Coming out of the anesthesia, just like 10 years ago, I was very nauseous. I also experienced what's called "respiratory depression" at first meaning I wasn't breathing often and/or deep enough. Because of this they didn't want to give any pain meds that would worsen either of these symptoms but that were still strong enough to manage the pain. So the first couple of days in ICU were pretty bad. Not to mention that the doctor warned us that the extra complicated surgery would make recovery harder this time than last time. Once things got kind of balanced out they moved me to a regular room.

Yay for being in a regular room! Here I am drugged, exhausted,
and unable to move my neck. Breathtaking, I know.

I started doing a little better every day and was released the Friday after the surgery with the souvenir of a 5 inch incision stapled together with a grand total of 23 staples.

My incision on my release date. Please excuse the 5 days of bedhead.
The surgeon was very kind to take as little hair as possible.

10 days after surgery

Since I've been home I've felt a little bit more normal every day. I have my collection of prescriptions I take, as well as another set of prescriptions to help with the side effects of the first set.

Yep, I could open my own pharmacy ;)

I'm having to rely on all of them less and less. However, the simplest physical activity (helping Mary onto the couch or walking up the stairs too fast) put me over the edge pain wise again and I'd have to be laying in bed for the rest of the day, but I can do a tiny bit more everyday. My mom was here until the 16th, and Robert's mom has been here since the 18th helping out with everything. The hardest part for me right now is that I'm starting to feel normal which makes it more tempting to do more than I should. Then I do too much and regret it painfully. So I'm just trying to stay positive and cheerfully accept my forced laziness and slowly do what I need to to get my strength slowly but fully back. I did however get out for the first time this past Monday, a quick trip to Costco and back. I know, I'm a little dare devil ;)

I had my first post-op appointment on Wednesday. I got my staples out and the doctor cleared me to start going out in public and hold my girls while standing up but I still can't lift them. He cringed when I said I had already been out to Costco, but said that was okay to do now so long as someone is with me to push the cart. I'm allowed to walk and I'm supposed to try to do a little more of that everyday, but be careful not to overdo. Basically I'm supposed to listen to my body. Nap when I feel like I need to nap, stop doing something right away if it feels like it's straining me, etc. I meet with them again in another 2 weeks and they'll tell me more of what I can and can't do :)

Here's the cut staple-free...

The day I got my staples out, 1/23/2013. The redness and irritation
from the lower staples (which itched SOOO much! So glad to have those out)
 has already cleared up a lot. It's looking better and better everyday.

And that's where we are now. Taking life a day at a time and thankful that I have days to take :) Further reports to follow.