Health. Happiness. Hope

Health. Happiness. Hope.

That is the theme of 2015!

Happy New Year!

I am almost 4 weeks post-op! For the most part, recovery has gone by relatively smoothly. I did, however, have a reaction to the sutures dissolving that resulted in a very raw and painful incision for a few days. Fortunately, it seems to be calming down and is back on the healing track.

Unfortunately, I still have headaches. Some days they are tolerable and Tylenol does the trick. Other days they feel like the typical Chiari headaches, and nothing touches the pain. My surgeon told me pre-op that it could take 1-2 months for the headaches to improve/go away, and some people say it could take as long as 6 months. With that said, it looks like I have to be patient awhile longer. I do enjoy the occasional glimpses of life without headaches, but it only lasts about 30 minutes (and that gets frustrating).

The best news is my blood pressure remains stable and I have not experienced any pre-syncopal episodes, as I usually do post-operatively. Hopefully it continues!

Reaction to dissolving sutures- 2 weeks post-op

Rash is improving with hydrocortisone cream

I am scheduled for a post-op appointment at the end of January. I hope by then my headaches are gone (or at least continue to be manageable). 

In the meantime, I am taking a course online to further my BSN, and watching as much hockey as possible. Unfortunately, the Bruins are insanely awful, but Center Ice and GameCenter allow me to watch as many games as I want. You can never watch too many hockey games!

I am still exhausted. I finally caved and bought The Chiari Pillow. I read numerous reviews and testimonials from various sources and decided that it was worth a shot. I can sleep for 10+ hours and feel as if I never slept. I am hoping the pillow, which some claim to be a "miracle," helps a bit. I am cautiously optimistic. 

I am not sure how many people can rock a bear hat, but I do a pretty decent job if I do say so myself ;)

Health. Happiness. Hope.