I'm Still Here

I've been taking it easy this week. I haven't felt like doing much of anything so I've pretty much stayed inside and spend most of my time in my chair. I'm still struggling with vertigo and balance issues. Every day I feel a little bit better but I know I am not 100% yet. The mornings are the worst and it takes me a little while to get my bearings after I get up. If I move too quickly the room will start to spin again. I don't remember it being this difficult when I had my first surgery. I still have some pain but do not have any more pain medicine. Tylenol seems to take the edge off. And Tylenol PM knocks me out at night so I can sleep.

One thing that is different from last time is that I DO NOT have the roaring tinnitus like I did last time. That is a blessing! There are no trains, sirens, or loud noises running through my head. Maybe the tinnitus was coming from my right side all along. I will say that I "heard" a piano playing a simple melody briefly the other night as I was going to sleep and thought about Beethoven. (He was a deaf composer and I have often wondered if the music he composed was what he "heard" in his head.)

I haven't had much of an appetite and have lost five pounds already. I have to make myself eat. My taste buds definitely are not working right. The only things that taste halfway decent are salty foods. And that isn't healthy. Sweets and chocolates don't taste right. It will be easy for me to give up chocolate for Lent this year!

I did go out twice the last two days but it wore me out. But, I don't trust myself to drive yet. On Tuesday, Dawn came and took me to lunch at Miss Olivia's Table, which is a cute little eatery in an old house in our town. I had the cook's special of the day, which was pot roast and it came with cornbread and coleslaw. I didn't eat it all but what I had tasted pretty good. Dawn had a bowl of the pot roast with a salad. She also took me to get my nails done and while I was there, I asked my hairdresser if she had an opening this week to trim my hair. She wasn't busy and had time to do it after my nail appointment so she trimmed it for me. I didn't have it washed, though, because I didn't want to lay back in the chair over the sink and get all dizzy again. While she was cutting my hair she asked me if I knew that I had a black eye. I said I didn't but sure enough, you could see the remnants of one on the side of my face. My hair covered it so I never noticed it. By the time we got back to the house, I was exhausted!

Yesterday, Susan, came and took me out to lunch, also. This time we went to a new coffee house in town called Grounded Coffee and More and they make the best vegetable soup, cornbread, and chai tea. So that was what we had. Susan originally wanted to bring a meal to our house but we have more food than we can eat right now. So, going out to lunch with a friend was the next best thing! I was going to try to go to prayer meeting last night at church but just didn't have the energy.

Maddie, our cocker spaniel (actually she belongs to Jason but I've claimed her!) has been my little shadow ever since I came home. As soon as I sit or lay down, she loves to snuggle next to me and keep me company. Her hair was getting long and she was turning into a little "Miss Stinky Poo" so I had Chris take her to the groomer on Tuesday. She looks and smells a lot better! She even has a valentine scarf around her neck!

I got a surprise last night. Steve texted me on my phone and said he was coming home early from San Diego! He was originally planning to come home on the red eye flight on Friday morning. Chris picked him up at the airport for me. I couldn't stay up late to wait for him but was happy when he crawled into our bed after midnight. My world is safe and sound again when he is home.