Going, going, gone... Part II

My intention was to post an update at the two month post-op point, but January 4th came and went without a post.  Sorry.  I guess the road to Detroit IS paved with good intentions...

Two months and five days have passed, Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone.  Decorations went up, came down, and now are stowed back in the basement.  And I am in a good place, a very good place.  If on the morning of November 4th someone would have described my recovery and where I am at, here and now, I would not have believed them.  Yes, I always hoped things would work out well but I was prepared for a much longer, more challenging recovery.

As of today my post-op issues are minor.  Vertigo can hit hard and fast if I look straight up and move my head to the left or right.  I also have to be careful when I'm lying down and I roll to my right side.  Doing that quickly causes the room to begin violently spinning.  Occasionally the area of my incision will ache, but I guess that is just a sign that the healing continues as skin, muscle and nerves reconnect.  The temple muscle between my right eye and ear can swell after eating.  A few minutes with an ice pack takes care of that issue.

My hearing is pretty much as it was before surgery.  Thankfully I can still hear very well out of my right ear.  The tinnitus is still present, maybe just a bit louder than before surgery.  I lived with it for a few years before surgery and I'm prepared to live with it for another 40-50 years.  Its a very small price to pay and, to be honest, a constant reminder to remember how fortunate I am.

I wish I could end this by sharing the "secrets to my success."  I would love to be able to tell the people who are facing a similar situation just follow these simple steps and you too can enjoy the same outcome.  I can't do that, I don't know why things worked out for me.  What I can do is wish them and their family and friends the best of luck and encourage them to click on some of the links to the right.  Educate yourself.  Consult with doctors (please note that "doctors" is plural for a reason!)  There are people willing to answer your questions, help quell your fears, share their experience with you.  And most of all feel confident that you are NOT alone.

Time to post one last picture.  Its not an MRI, a bloody scar, an 80's rock band, nor a peeved figure skater.  It is a picture I took early one morning in the summer of 2008.  Other than cropping and shrinking the file size, it is unedited, exactly as I saw it:

 
I don't know the name of the ship.  I don't know where they were coming from nor where they were headed to.  I don't know the person standing at the stern of the ship.  But I hope they enjoyed the voyage and that the memories of it bring a smile to their face today.

I want to thank everyone who helped support us over these last few months.  Your love and kindness will never be forgotten.  A very special thanks to:

Julie (my love), the boys, Mom, John, Marilyn, Elaine, GG, Papa, Erin, Diana, Terry, Randy, the docs at House Ear Clinic, the staff at St. Vincents, my "extended" family at Fritz Enterprises and Huron Valley Steel, and all the wonderful folks at the ANA Forum.