Monday, June 24, 2013

Another Lazy Day and Sleepless Night
Monday,  June 24, 2013

The last few nights have had a lot of sleepless hours in them.  When I wake, there is some discomfort in my arm, but not real bad.  But that or something else is keeping me from getting a good night's sleep.  I quit the prescription pain medication last week after a bad episode and am taking over-the- counter ones which both surgeons had suggested.  Only problem is they don't work as long.  One pill (not the normal dosage of two) works fine on the discomfort - for four hours.  I hate to get up and take another after 4 or 5 hours of sleep, but I may have to give in and do so.  I usually spend the last few hours of each night in the recliner dozing off and on. 

Each day is better.  The wrist is not as swollen.  Maybe I didn't mention the wrist.  I think I mentioned that at our request Dr. Olson x-rayed my wrist last week.  It had hurt a lot and when he took the splint off, it was very swollen.  He said most of that was due to him manipulating the bones around my elbow, to put them back into place.  The swelling has been going down and the pain is much less.  I have good movement of the wrist and fingers.The elbow is doing fairly well.  The swelling there is better, but not all gone by any means.  Range of motion is fair but not great, and I am still trying not to use it as per his orders.  The huge bruise on my shoulder is almost all gone.  Dr. Olson said that the bruise was due to a tourniquet used on the upper arm during surgery.

Yesterday morning I decided not to try to go to Sunday School or church.  Not being able to hear is a big factor, but also the discomfort in my arm and the need to protect it were major considerations.  Being out of church another Sunday, was just too much, so I decided to go to worship service with our son David and his wife Diana at Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas.  David was in his place in the front row of the choir and his wife Diana was on the front row of the orchestra playing her violin.  I was on the front row in my sewing room, in front of my computer, watching a live streaming feed of their worship service from 250 miles away.  Isn't technology amazing? 

One of the problems when you can't hear is that you can't hear yourself either.  I love to sing the old hymns at church, especially the ones we do in harmony.  I sing alto and I am by no means a great singer, but I can carry a tune - rather, I could until I became deaf.  With my amplifier turned all the way up and set up next to the speaker on the computer (also turned all the way up), I could sing along on the songs.  I know that I can't hear the music well enough to stay on pitch with it, so at church I don't try to sing.  (Also at church my amplifier is not right next to the speaker, so I don't hear even the rhythm of the song being sung.)  Back to yesterday's service, I was home alone since my husband was at church, so I just sang to my heart's content with that great choir and orchestra at Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio! 

When it came time for the sermon, even with my amplifier turned up and the computer turned up, it was not enough to really follow the message, so I prayed for that service, the one at our church, and for another that I had been asked to pray for.  It was a good Sunday morning.

My youngest sister had flown into town the evening to visit our mom.  After church, they picked up food and brought it to our house and we had a relaxed meal and visit.  My sister has a strong voice and I was able to understand much of what she said.  She is also a physical therapist, so it was good to get her input on my arm.  She did say my scar looks much better than the photo I posted last week, so maybe I can get my husband to take a new photo to post tomorrow.  That will be one week out of the cast.  Today is 3 weeks since the elbow surgery and 2 weeks since the Cochlear Implant surgery.



Today, my husband encouraged me to stay home from our office.  I didn't argue.  I may go tomorrow - not sure yet.  He has been doing a great job of taking care of my hanging plants and filling the bird feeders so I can enjoy them each day. 







Today most of the birds today have been sparrows, 3 kinds of ducks, blackbirds, and 2 kinds of doves.  A green jay made a brief appearance, but flew off before I could get to my camera.  The green jays are nesting in the area so I will keep trying.  It can get crowded at the birdbaths on these hot days.







Previously, I mentioned that there were several possible side effects to the Cochlear Implant surgery.  One is that it can affect your sense of taste.  I have had a minor change there.  I love Dr. Peppers to drink.  They are my soda of choice.  Now they just don't taste the same!  I hope this is temporary.  Also a couple of other foods taste a little different.  Nothing major, but different. 

Another change since my Cochlear Implant surgery is the music that I hear in my head.  It is softer and less diverse than before.  The arrangements are not as complex as before and there is more instrumental and less vocal music.  It is still beautiful, but much softer.  A good thing is that the other noises are way down, too.  I do hear what sound like electronic tones off and on, but rarely.  So my world is quieter.  Hopefully, not for much longer!  A week from tomorrow we go back to Houston to have the device programed and activated.  We are doing a countdown toward that goal.

2 comments:

  1. Hi, Linda,
    I'm counting down the days until your activation, too. You are doing great. I'm so sorry about your arm. That was a complication you didn't need.

    The bird photos are, as usual, wonderful, and I got a lift out of seeing your grandson's smiling face as he cleaned windows. What a nice family you have!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Pat. A week from today. Yes, counting down the days!

      The arm problem is a real bummer, but it makes me aware of how little the Cochlear surgery has effected me. I have just sailed through it. I wouldn't have gotten any pampering at all! I'm glad that at least they are at the same time so I didn't extend my time out of the office.

      We are blessed with a wonderful family. My grandson had to be exhausted that day, but he had such a willing heart to help Grandma! They are a joy!

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