5 Years Ago Today...

It's been 5 years. 5 years! I wonder if in 5 years from now I will look back and think 'Wow, how fast time has flown by since having cancer!'. It was 5 years ago today that I was in ICU at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus recovering from brain surgery. It was another day in ICU and 6 more days after that on a recovery floor, that I was finally able to come back to Lima and heal at home. My surgery was for Chiari Malformation. To put it simply, it's when the bottom part of your brain starts to push against the spinal cord, leaving you with symptoms such as major fatigue, headaches, and in my case, weak or numb arms and legs. Since there was pressure on my spinal cord, my brain fluid wasn't flowing right and I developed cysts in my spinal cord (remember, that's what I thought was happening again when it was actually the tumor this time). It was crazy though, because even when I sneezed or coughed, a huge tingling happened throughout my whole upper body. I can't even begin to describe it! I give my chiropractor props because he is the one who found it and referred me to my amazing neurosurgeon in Columbus. I thought I was just sore from the car accident. Once again, another great doctor who puts his heart into his work and helped heal me, Dr. Jicha, he looked more into it and we found that the trauma from the car accident with the deer, triggered symptoms of this Chiari. I was just so blessed that he found it so soon. My cousin actually had the same thing when he was 14, although he suffered way longer, 4 years longer than I did before the doctors found out why he was so sick. He is an inspirational story for sure! After being basically chair bound for 4 years, he had the surgery, recovered with HUGE success and is now running miles and traveling and living all over the world. WOW! Doctors are a BLESSINGS!
I had the surgery a week after I saw Andrew graduate from Boot Camp, and I think I was still on a high from how amazing that was to really get nervous about the upcoming major surgery. The main thing I remember about that surgery was the doctors saying that this was a very painful surgery and that they didn't really know how to manage the pain except a great amount of pain medication (I slept for a LONG time that week the meds were so good!). So they just gave me lots of pain killers. I was on a IV morphine drip until the day I came home and I remember that was also where we found out I was allergic to codeine. One crazy memory was a couple days after I got home, we had to call down to the doctors office because my pain was so intense...but it wasn't pain from the surgery though...the doctors said I was going through withdrawal from the meds! Needless to say, I probably should have been weened off a little bit better...I had the shakes like an addict would!
But you know what? I got through that. And I am better today because of fabulous doctors who know what they are doing. Otherwise, I'd probably be wheel chaired bound, unable to have the life I have today. I also learned a lot from that time. I learned that I am definitely not the one who is in control of my life. I was all geared up to go to Taylor University for college and start without Andrew (he was still in the Army and wasn't sure where life would take him), but God had other plans. Because of my long recovery, I had to stay home that semester. I changed my major and they didn't have it at Taylor. So when Andrew got home, we decided to go to college at Bluffton University together. Who knows where we would be now if I never had to have that surgery?! So as I reflect on that, I realize that this too shall pass and new lessons will be learned. I have an amazing doctor now and I'm going to get through this, just like I got through that surgery 5 years ago...and count my blessings, again. :) And learn something too...life is all about learning from experiences.

There are some really bad pictures of me during this time because I couldn't open up my eyes for a couple days because I was on sensory overload like CRAZY! Lights bothered my eyes, and I could SWEAR I heard the Ohio State Marching Band practicing, they were just right around the corner I hear. People literally had to whisper in the room and I even got a room to myself my ears were so sensitive. Sometimes I wonder if the sensitivity part ever fully went away...but here is a pictures of my scar...pretty cool! The hair-do isn't too bad either!;) Now that most of my hair is gone, you can see the scar really good again...oh memories! The other picture is of me and Andrew at Fort Jackson in South Carolina (I still like the green Army BDU's better :) If anyone gets the opportunity to see an Army Boot Camp Graduation, do it! It is on my Top 5 neatest things I have ever seen! I was so glad I was able to go with my mom, Tim, and Jonny. I'm sure they loved wheeling me around in the airport...but I was so happy I had the energy for all the walking, I used a cane for support, and with Andrew's family and my mom there, I had a great support system!

Well, Andrew and I didn't get to our date night tonight. I woke up this morning with my eyes swelled, blood shot, and SORE! It felt like there was a bruise behind my eyes and every time my eyeball moved, someone was pressing on that bruise. So I went to the eye doctor because I just don't mess around anymore and luckily, it isn't anything serious. I just have a viral infection in both eyes. This can happen when you are around someone with a cold and your own immune system is down. So, I didn't get Andrew's cold the way I thought I would, for some reason I got it in my eyes. We have such STRANGE bodies! And Cooper got neutered today, too! He was so tired and sore when I picked him up that I just couldn't bare leaving him tonight when I heard his little whimpers. I guess this is what it's like when it's not all about each other anymore. Sometimes plans have to change for the kids...and to take care of yourself too :) We did get a motorcycle ride in...so that was a good date right there! Tomorrow I get chemo again and after I am finished, I have made it half way. Half way...that makes me smile :)