Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Final Countdown!

The final countdown for departure to Colorado has begun -the hubby and I are leaving Saturday!!!

I'd like to thank everyone for their concern, good wishes, and prayers! Apparently I know more people than I thought I did and you all seem to be genuinely concerned about me - who knew?! :)

The most common question that I'm answering these days is whether or not I'm getting scared/nervous/etc. As I explained to the hubby, this is sort of like our wedding - anti-climatic - allow me to explain...

I'm a planner and despite the somewhat apparent messiness of my car/house/office, I'm organized and a list maker. I planned every last detail of our wedding, so the actual day felt somewhat anti-climatic because I knew exactly what was going to happen and how everything was going to look. Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful and one of the best days of my life, but there weren't really any surprises (other than a wax incident during the ceremony and the best man's speech - not even a late cake delivery stressed me out).

I've planned every detail of the trip - and then created a 3 page itinerary for my entire family and close friends including ALL of the pertinent details. Everything is planned out (including meals, snacks, and entertainment). So again, it's anti-climatic. But that's okay...I don't think surprise are a good thing when it comes to brain surgery :)

Oh and thanks to everyone that has loaned me books and DVDs!! I can't wait!

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Does it make me weird...

Does it make me weird that I am more worried about the catheter, not being able to properly wash my hair, and being bored to tears post-op than I am about the actual surgery?

If you have any suggestions for things to do post-op that don't involve lifting anything over 10 pounds, reaching, or straining your neck...please offer!

Monday, September 17, 2007

Gushing Spinal Fluid & OCD

I was talking to my friend Bianka today and explaining that sometimes I can hear - what I imagine to be - my spinal fluid squeezing through my neck. It sounds like the noise water makes when running through a hose with great force. She said EW!

I was writing out an itinerary for my upcoming trip to Denver (2 weeks to go!) and mentioned that I was being VERY OCD about the whole thing.

Bianka says:
You're allowed to be OCD when you hear spinal fluid gushing around.

I found this really funny...Apparently this grosses many people out...it just seems normal to me. :)

Two more weeks and I'll get to experience a whole new normal!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Good News!

My cold is pretty much gone other than a lingering cough, which isn't all that different than my normal Chiari cough so I should be good to go in 2 weeks! YIPPEE!!! BTW, I highly recommend Tylenol Cold in both the daytime and nighttime varieties.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

I have a cold...

And I am NOT happy about it. I'm taking a boatload of vitamins and cold medicine and trying to rest. It has GOT to go away soon!!!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Pre-Op Appointment

I scheduled my pre-op appointment with my family doctor for the 18th. I still need to call and pre-register at the hospital. Flights are booked - I'll be in Colorado the 29th through the 9th.

This is just my story of my experience with Chiari. Until I was diagnosed, I'd never heard of it, and I just want more people to be aware of it. I'm not a doctor, so don't quote me on any of this stuff - k? If you are looking for information about Chiari Malformation, a lot of the more informative posts are the older ones.