Down... but not out

Thursday 30th Jan today and if I'm honest had hoped to be brand new by now but woaaah! slow down that ride please.

After coming home from the hospital on Tuesday for my arm appointment (improving, no worries there now thanks, although it still looks alien to me), I felt I had to go lie down on the couch as the dizzies were just piling up. Slept for two hours, out like a light! I awoke to a neighbour visiting, really sweet, and did feel reasonably ok but that was just short-lived. Vertigo I suppose, meddling with my internal ear of course would do that to a person.

All evening I got gradually worse and finally felt I couldn't even turn my head without falling. Turn my eyes even... bleargh, that makes you so sick! I gave up trying and dragged myself to bed by ten pm and was glad to just lay my head in one position. DO NOT MOVE whatever you do Caroline. Jeezo, but that's horrendous.

I was due to go to the UMC to get my stitches out today (Thu) but J vetoed that for a bad joke after all day Wednesday being the same if not worse. It meant leaving the house at 7am this morning to get there in time, and I could barely walk to the door, never mind the bus stop... and then travel? Just not on. Wednesday was really the worst day so far and I heard via email I couldn't change the appointment either, so I emailed them back to say J would call at appt. time on Thursday.

How it works I don't know but, while being reasonably prepared for 'dizzy' and 'tinnitus' right away, I wasn't prepared for it days later. Perhaps I could have/should have been? Nor did I know about the black eye, I think they could have mentioned that as a possibility. Not that it matters, but I would have at least been prepared. I also didn't expect the whole other side of my face to feel like it'd been hit with a sledgehammer. How's that work eh? Felt like I'd had a good kicking! And while actually not in a lot of pain, what there is sort of radiates out, further and further daily, from the wound site - it's now half way across my head. Honestly, not a lot of pain, can't stress that enough (after the wrist break I'm qualified to judge, believe me), but while at the beginning it was behind the ear, it's now at the midline of my skull. If I knew it was 'par for the course' it would be more settling. The numbness over and around my whole left ear and the wound is probably also 'normal' but put in a list would be handy I think.

The stiff and bruised opposite face side has actually now already receded from yesterday but well, yesterday was baaaaad with the dizzies so I was Mrs. Sorry all bloody day. Could barely raise my head. So perhaps they should have that in the list of 'what to expect after CI surgery' too. It really wasn't mentioned. I am glad that I've been able to actually lie on my CI side though... hadn't expected to be able to and had worried about that as I like to change sides. Just to mention a real positive apart from the 'not much pain' :) I'm not all moans!

Another thing I do think they missed a beat on though is the fact of getting vaccinated for Meningitis prior the op. It was really only mentioned in passing (reading) while they do say it's imperative - although very, very rare and not having occurred at all in NL in connection with a CI, so just covering all eventualities I suppose. If it's so important though, it should be taken up as something tackled in the whole trajectory of check ups and visits, or at least properly emphasized that you must arrange this, like now with your GP. Because some folks (ahem) just read over it and think, yeah, will do... and then forget. And I can't say I've not been worrying just a tad about 'oh, hope I've not got... ' Apparently two weeks after the op is fine for the jab too, but only found that out after the fact! And of course I now have to worry about reacting badly to it.

Today is definitely better than yesterday although still feeling kinda spacey. I'm miffed at not having my stitch taken out but it just wasn't possible as, whatever time of day I'd have had the appointment, I'm really not fit for travelling. J called this morning and I now have a new date, next Monday at 1pm - at least a reasonable time of day. The receptionist apparently also asked the doc about my symptoms and while unusual are not unheard of so... all's well.

Tell that to the waltzers in my head!