leaps & bounds

One year later and I have made leaps and bounds.  When I found out that I needed to have decompression surgery I crumbled.  I was a mess.  It took everything my friends and family had to push me, lead me, coax me forward. There were so many hours of phone calls with encouraging words. (my dads were the best - he was the strongest and most logical about it) There were emails of encouragements, facebook posts, suggestions from friends who had gone thru things similar.  Hours of reading peoples blogs of what to expect, seeking proof or hope that it would be OK.  Strangers shared their stories and I even had a few friends that knew about Chiari first hand.  It took that huge collage of people to hold me up and be brave enough to push forward.  Head up - you can do it.   and I DID!

For the sake of documenting where I am at today I will say that I feel as if I am healed. I have very little pain.  Headaches, chronic neck/shoulder pain and numbness - all but gone.  Victory.  I do have issues with my memory.  I used to remember everything, almost to a fault and now I have issues with short term memory as well as long term.  I am hoping it is something that will improve.  It bugs me, but probably bugs John more.  I am not consistent like I used to be.   Also, I think brain surgery brought the hypocondriac out in me.  It might really be the blood clot that actually started me down this path of worry.  I have been told by so many what a close call that was.  But, I was someone that went to the doctor once a year - now it seems (especially with me being on coumadin/warfarin) that I am at the doctor twice in a month. (or more) 

Besides all of that, this last year can be looked back on and documented as the year that made my family better, stronger, more thankful and more present.  I have to again thank John, Mia & Ryan for all of their love and support and thank all of my friends, near and far, that gave so much to help us through a tough time.  

We celebrated this last year with a trip to San Francisco.  We were planning this trip for 2010 when I found out that I had to have surgery. The trip was postponed and I am so glad we made it there.  On 11.11.11 (probably the ultimate date on the calendar of my lifetime)  we crossed the GoldenGate bridge at 11am, and then climbed this hill and took this photo at 11:11am on 11/11/11.  

11/11/11 at 11:11am - San Francisco 

left: starting our san francisco adverture
right:  the latest hair photo with my new locks.  my hair grew 6 inches this year and is now unruly in a braid.