Five Years Ago Today: NO HAIR!

 Five years ago today on February 14, 2016 I started preparing for my deep brain stimulation surgery. OK, actually the preparing started months before with doctors appointments and tests and all that, but I consider February 14 the start of the surgery part of it. Most people celebrate Valentine's Day with gifts to their loved ones, but it was on February 14, 2016 that I lost all my hair. My hair. My crowning jewel. Probably one of the biggest defining features of me. I loved my hair. Yes, of course it could be unruly. It could give me fits, but it was MY hair. I'm not going to compare my loss of hair to someone who is battling cancer because if I did compare it, they would win every time. I knew my hair would grow back. I knew the second I lost it, it was already growing back. In fact, every week, for the the three weeks I had surgery, my neurosurgeon commented that he had to cut my hair every single time because it would grow that much in a week. He said I was the rarity. Most people could go the three weeks without having to have him shave their head every time, but not me! So, there is NO comparison with those who have or who are losing their hair to cancer - that's in a whole other realm of loss. BUT, I did lose all of my hair. ALL.OF.MY.HAIR. Every last piece of it. God took a break in counting the hairs on my head for a month or so - haha! I had really long hair too. My neurosurgeon was extremely sensitive and compassionate when speaking with me about losing it. In fact this is what I wrote on my blog post from January 8, 2016: "Dr. K. looked at me and he said something to the effect of 'When I saw your beautiful hair, I didn't want to broach the topic of what I'd have to do to it. I was stalling as long as possible.'" In subsequent meetings with Dr. K. and on the day of surgery, he told all the nurses and doctors that he felt horrible that I had to shave all my hair off. This is a picture of me from January 29, 2016 (one of the last taken with all my hair). The guy in the picture with me is Don Wildman from Travel Channel. :) Maybe I shouldn't have worn brown because my hair kind of blends in, but I didn't know it would be one of the last pictures of me with hair either!

February 14, 2016, was a Sunday, just like it is today in 2021. I went to church and then out to eat with my family afterwards. After that, I came home and my friend Carrie came over. I was reminiscing with Carrie this morning about that day. It was an emotional afternoon for both of us! Who knew cutting all your hair off would be so emotional?! I guess you just don't know unless you've done it. For some reason we didn't take a picture of me with all my hair. We started taking pictures at each interval of hair loss once it got shoulder length. Here are those pictures:

Shoulder length front

Shoulder length back

Above the shoulder front

Above the shoulder back

Side bob view

Side bob view

Getting shorter front

Getting shorter back

Really short front

Really short back

GONE!! Front

GONE!! Back

This is my shunt scar. Turns out, I didn't need a shunt!

The aftermath!  

So every year on February 14, I take a picture of myself and my hair. It's  just a fun way to commemorate the day I had my head shaved! By the way, yes - you do still see hair on my head in the above "bald" pictures, but they shaved it even closer during the surgeries. Here's how bald I actually was. This was right after the "awake" surgery:

Here are the hair growth pictures through the years including this year. Thanks to the pandemic, I have now grown my hair to around the length it was before shaving it all off.

February 14, 2017

February 14, 2018

February 14, 2019

February 14, 2020

February 14, 2021

Today marks 5 years. How has it been 5 years since the "beginning" of the deep brain stimulation surgeries? Whoever coined the phrase "The days are long but the years are short.", knew what they were talking about. FIVE WHOLE YEARS!!! They haven't been easy years, but they've been blessed years. I'll use another cliché and say, this isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, but, I wouldn't have it any other way. I've learned so much in these past 5 years. Every obstacle, every fall, every "hardship", it's all made me stronger. Not only has my hair grown so much in these past 5 years but my faith in God has grown by leaps and bounds. My determination and resolve have grown. I've grown. It's been and continues to be an adventure. I'm not really an adventure-seeking person. I'm reserved and an introvert. But with God by my side, I've been on the most adventurous, thrill-seeking, death-defying, scary-as-all-get-out ride and He's kept me safe! He's even gotten me to smile and admit that this adventure (which I would have NEVER chosen for myself) is kind of fun. Well, maybe not fun, but definitely adventurous. There have been fun aspects. I've gotten to do things, meet people and be in situations I never would have dreamed of and it's all made me a better person. Sometimes you just have to hold on for dear life while God takes you on this wild and crazy ride called LIFE!

And to this day, I still proclaim: God's Got This!

Tune-In-Tuesday: February 9, 2021

Hi all! Today marks 2 weeks (and 1 day) since my latest battery replacement surgery. Overall, I'm doing well! I've only lost one of the seven steri-strips though - so I have 6 more to go - haha! I haven't lost the walker either. :( That's kind of a bummer, but these things take time, right? Usually by 2 weeks I can tell if the electricity is working in my leg and foot or not. Interestingly enough, the past couple of days my leg and foot have felt weaker then they did even just a few days ago. I have no idea what that's about. Maybe it's psychological? Like - I know I should be walking OK now, but I'm somehow preventing myself from doing that by putting myself in a box of "you SHOULD be walking fine now!!" So, I just need to take a deep breath, let it out slowly and NOT WORRY. It will come when it comes. Even just writing that made me relax!

I'm not allowed to workout until my return to the neurosurgeon in a couple of weeks and it's driving me crazy. I'm not allowed to even do yoga yet. On one hand, I've enjoyed the break (from exercise, not yoga!!) and on the other, I want to workout so bad!!! But, in due time I'll be back. 

I've been reminiscing a bit these past few days as I've realized that the 5th anniversary of my deep brain stimulation surgery is coming up starting on February 16 (it was a three week process of surgeries). On a side-note that means I've had three batteries in 5 years! I re-read an entry to my blog that I had written on February 7, 2017 (almost one year to the day after my surgeries) and it was such an encouragement. If you'd like to read what I wrote back then you can do that here: It is Not Brain Surgery!: Shouting From the Rooftop: February 7. God is so good. He was, He is and He will remain good. 

My brother and sister-in-law got me an Amazon Firestick for Christmas so I've been enjoying watching Amazon Prime and Netflix. I found a show on Netflix called Lenox Hill. It's a reality show I guess you could say as it follows several doctors/surgeons that work at Lenox Hill hospital in NYC. Several of the doctors that the 8-episode series follows are neurosurgeons. It was fascinating to watch. I know medical shows are not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. All I have to say is that I am so, so blessed. I am blessed that I have dystonia and nothing else. Yes, I said I am blessed to have dystonia. Blessed because I don't have brain cancer. That disease is ruthless and devastating and absolutely horrible. I am blessed. This dystonia is a drop in the bucket compared to other diseases and conditions involving the brain. And while I'm on the topic of TV shows, after Lenox Hill, I found another show - Virgin River to binge on. It's a drama and I've fallen in love with it. I only have a few more episodes to go (like 3) before I've watched the whole series so far, but I think (unlike Lenox Hill) it's a drama that is still creating new seasons - or, at least I hope! I don't want it to end.

As for my back/side pain that I mentioned in my last post: It's still there slightly but is much, much, much better!! It's almost gone actually. I can still feel it at certain times, but it's so much better. I didn't do anything to make it go away, it just went away on its own. I also learned that it's probably not my sciatic. I spoke to someone at church who said my pain was in the wrong spot. Anyway, if it gets worse, I'll deal with it then, but for now, it's almost gone which I am most thankful for!

I am once again a card-carrying member of Medtronic (the company who creates the batteries for the deep brain stimulation device.) as I got my updated card in the mail. With each new battery comes a new card with the information for my battery on it. I can show this card when I have to skip going through metal detectors at airports and stores to alert those in authority that I have a medical condition that prevents me from doing that. 

I read something the other day that caught my eye. It was an article that said that the battery in the new iPhone 12 could interfere with batteries made for heart pacemakers. While I don't have a heart pacemaker, I do have a "brain pacemaker". Could the battery effect it? Hmm...something to think about (but not worry about because 1) I don't have an iPhone 12 and 2) the article was for heart pacemakers - so no need to worry now - ha!).

I had a captive audience the other day as the children of some very close family friends wanted to see pictures of me bald - haha! Even my nieces wanted to see. So I pulled them out from when I was bald five years ago and they were amazed. I realized that I do love sharing my story. Yes, this is an ongoing condition that I have and it's constantly changing and evolving, but I love getting the word out about it, about deep brain stimulation and just telling my story. It's not always pretty. It doesn't wrap up in a pretty bow. It's messy and complicated and (at times) embarrassing. It's confusing and frustrating and (at times) lonely and self-isolating. BUT, it's my story. It's my life. It's beautiful through all the mess. It's mine. 

Thank you for reading and always remember - God's Got This!

 

Tune-In-Tuesday: February 2, 2021 One week (and one day) Post-op

 It's been one week and one day since I've had the battery replacement surgery for my deep brain stimulation device. I can definitely tell that it's working, although I'm not back to 100 %. The question is, was I really ever 100%?! Ha! I mean, I'm not back to where I was before the battery needed replacing. Although I walk around my house without a cane or a walker, I am still using the walker to get around outside of the walls of my home. I did a "dry run" as I called it on Saturday. I went to the Christian bookstore and used neither a cane or a walker to get around. While I did it, I also realized that I do still need the support of the walker. Sunday night I was having spasms in my leg and foot. Yesterday, I walked to my mailbox and back without a cane or walker, but it was pretty precarious. About halfway to the mailbox I was thinking I should have used at least my cane. By then, it was a little too late. ;) I made it without falling, but not without praying that I didn't fall. Today's walking has not been the best, but it's also not been the worst. I'm getting there. It's a slow process. As much as I wish it to be faster, I just have to be patient. (On a side note: I know I've shared this before, but I do recognize why we are called "patients". It's because we have to be patient while getting better!)

About a month ago (before the surgery), I was at church and I went to sit down in my seat and my back/hip started hurting. It hurt throughout the service but eventually went away that night. It was weird. My best guess is it's sciatica, BUT it only hurts in one spot. The pain doesn't radiate down my leg. Since it only lasted less then a day, I didn't give it a second thought. Spring forward to this past Thursday and the pain came back and it hasn't left. UGH. I'm not quite sure what to do about it. Does it need to be X-rayed? Do I go see my primary care doctor about it? Will it go away on its own? Is something broken? It's crossed my mind too that this could be a result of the way I walk, but why is it just showing up now? How do I even describe how it hurts? So many questions. I know, I WAY over think things. My mom suggested I go to the chiropractor, but, unfortunately, that's one thing I can not do after having deep brain stimulation. This isn't related at all to a car accident I had with my mom when I was 19 in which I fractured my pelvis because it's the opposite hip/back that's hurting. Sleeping has not been fun because I've tried NOT to sleep on the new battery and yet, it feels so much better to put pressure on my hip/back which is on the same side that the battery is on. So...this shall be continued when I figure out what I'm going to do about it. It may just be that I'm getting old. I'm a mess ya'll! ;) 

As I mentioned above, there are some things that every deep brain stimulation patient has to avoid (for the rest of our lives) after the surgery. They are:

- MRIs of any part of the body except the brain.

- Any ultrasound around the battery device

- Any tens unit procedure around the battery device

- Chiropractic work

- Diathermy

- Metal detectors that you have to walk through, like at the airport, courthouse, schools, etc. If I have my Medtronic ID card with me, I can pull that out and explain why it's unsafe for me to walk through this device. They usually just use the wand on me instead.

- Arc welding

- Scuba diving or being under water deeper than 33 feet

- Sky diving

I was able to remove the bandages from my surgery site last Friday. Under the bandage, I have 7 steri-strips. I'm supposed to let those just fall off and as of today none of them have. 

Just so there's nothing left to the imagination: that "lump" below the stitches is the battery. :)

A few weeks ago a friend of mine told me her daughter brought up my battery replacement surgery to her biology teacher and her class and they were intrigued. I told my friend that I am always available for show and tell - ha! I'm a walking science experiment!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and always remember - God's Got This!

Tune-In-Tuesday: January 26, 2021 Battery Replacement Surgery

I had my deep brain stimulation battery replacement surgery done yesterday. I had to be at the hospital at 7am. I thought I might get one last work-out done on my stationary bike before going to the hospital, but I did not - ha! I wasn't feeling it, plus, I couldn't have anything to drink, so I just slept in. :) I got up and got a shower and put comfy lounge wear on. I didn't have to put contacts in or make-up on and I didn't have to do my hair, so I was ready in like 10 minutes. Mom picked me up around 6:40am. It was pouring down rain. The one time, I have to get up super early and actually go somewhere, it's pouring rain and I'd rather be sleeping. Oh well!

Before leaving for the hospital. No contact lenses, no make-up - all natural!

Mom and I made it to the hospital at 7am on the dot. For those that really know me, you know I love to be early. My mom on the other hand likes to be right on time. It made me a little anxious to be right on time, but in the end it didn't matter - haha! As soon as I walked in the door they took my temperature. It must have been fine as they let me in! Since I had pre-registered, I didn't really have to do anything. I got checked in and Mom and I waited. We watched the same news stories 3 times I think. There was a story on the new Chick-Fil-A sandwich that was coming out that day - a grilled spicy chicken sandwich. That sounded SO GOOD. I hadn't eaten anything since about 7pm the night before, so I was a little hungry. 

Sitting in the waiting room at the hospital

We finally made it back to pre-op where I had to change into the ever-sexy hospital gown and grippy socks. The socks threw me for a loop -  they were gray and not yellow. I've always gotten yellow "fall-risk" socks. Not this time. I guess I wasn't a fall risk! But then the nurse came in and adorned my wrist with a yellow bracelet with "Fall Risk" written on it. Yep, still a fall risk. My surgeon requested that I get Tylenol and an Oxycodone by mouth before the surgery, so I took that. The anesthesiologist came in and went over things and confirmed that I'd be put under general anesthesia and not just Propofol. For once, I didn't contest. I have this innate fear of never waking up from anesthesia, but maybe the Oxy was taking effect. I just didn't contest to being put fully out. After the anesthesiologist left, a tech came in to do an EKG. She said that the anesthesiologist ordered it. I told her, she probably wouldn't be able to get a read on it because of the battery, but she tried anyway. She couldn't get a read. :) She spoke with the nurse and the nurse said that maybe they could do it in surgery after the old battery was taken out and before the new one was put in. She said she's update the anesthesiologist. After the tech left the Medtronic rep came in. Medtronic is the company that makes the batteries that control the deep brain stimulator. The rep, Peyton, was the same rep I initially had at Vanderbilt. It was good to see him again. He did all his tests and said I may feel things as he ran his tests, but I didn't. After he left, the nurse came back in and put the IV in. Ya'll, lidocaine is the way to go. She numbed my wrist up with it before attempting the IV and I didn't feel a thing. I didn't even feel the burn she said I might feel after the lidocaine was in. This stuff should be MANDATORY before any needle stick, it's that good! She got a vein in my wrist with her first stick, but then it blew. Ya'll, I hate needle sticks. I don't mind IV's, but it's the initial finding the vein and the actual stick that I get queasy at. I can't look as they are finding the vein and then inserting the needle. I can look afterwards, just not as they are doing it. You'd think with everything I've had done, that I would be fine with this, but I am not! I can see others getting it done but when it comes to me, I'm a baby. So after the first blown vein, the nurse decided to get it in the crook of my arm. She again got it with the first stick and this time it didn't blow - yay! 

Sexy hospital wear!

Fall Risk!

Pre-Op

Sexy hair-net :)  Just about to go back to surgery

Then Mom and I waited and waited and waited some more. I make it sound awful and super long, but it really wasn't. Pre-op was pretty busy when we first got there, but at one point it was like a ghost town. It sounded like we and maybe one other patient were back there. My mom said it looked like a ghost town. Then, just as quickly as it had become a ghost town, it picked back up again. My surgeon, Dr. B. came by. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't recognize him! He had to say his name before I did. :) I hadn't seen him in 2 and 1/2 years because I met with his nurse practitioner for all my pre-op stuff. He was all masked up and everything, so I just didn't recognize him. He went over everything and the risks but assured me he'd never had anyone with the complications he said could happen. He said his first patient was just being wheeled out of the OR, so the OR had to be cleaned but then I'd be up. After he left, Mom and I waited some more. I had to pee, so that was a little bit of an ordeal to get me unhooked from the IV stand and since I can't walk well, getting the nurse to help me. But, the mission was accomplished and I made it back to my gurney without falling. After a little while, a nurse from anesthesia (I think - then again it might have been another anesthesiologist) and the OR nurse came by to get me. The anesthesiologist asked if I wanted anything to calm me down on the way to the OR and I said yes. Anything and everything helps! And it did indeed help. They rolled me into the OR and the last thing I remember was a mask on my face. Wait! That means at some point, they took my other mask (the one I came in with because of COVID) off! I don't remember that. So I must have been really enjoying whatever meds they gave me. :)

I woke up in post-op. My nurse was Tony, but he was about to go on break, so Terry stepped in and helped out. My throat was super agitated this time coming out of anesthesia and every time I tried to take a deep breath it caused me to cough. I must have been cold at one point because I had the Bair Hugger on with heat. As Terry took my temperature she said she wanted to make sure she wasn't roasting me like a turkey! Turns out my temperature was a little high at 99, so they stopped the heat and took the Bair hugger off. They took my  temp again and it was 100. It was going the wrong way. My blood oxygen level was a little low for their liking too at 91 (which in my mind seemed OK, but I'm not a nurse or a doctor!). So Terry was having me take slow deep breaths. My blood oxygen levels eventually went up to 97. I think my blood pressure was a little high (I remember seeing 132 on the screen, I think). Terry listened to my heart and lungs and she said they sounded clear, so that was good! She didn't know why I was having trouble taking a deep breath. Every time I took a deep breath it caused me to cough - like a deep from the chest cough. I do remember Terry telling me if I had to cough to put my mask (the one used because of COVID) back on. :) Oops! I could breathe fine as long as I didn't take deep breaths. It was a catch 22. If I breathed shallow, I didn't cough, but my my blood oxygen was low and my BP was higher. If I breathed deep, I had to cough, but my blood oxygen levels were higher and my BP was lower. The body is a fascinating thing! Terry tried to get me to eat or drink something, but at that time, all I wanted was ice chips. Tony came back and said that rain was coming down in buckets outside! He took over my care again and made me drink water and eat saltines. :)

How did I not know that there are phases of post-op? Maybe I did and I've forgotten, but I was initially in Phase 1. Once my breathing was OK, I was moved to Phase 2. That's when Mom got to come back. My nurse in Phase 2 was Alexis. I really think the only thing I had to do in Phase 2 was pee before they let me go, but, I could be wrong. I did still have all the OR meds in me. :) I stayed in Phase 2 awhile. After peeing, they let me get dressed and eventually, I was discharged. Mom asked if I would like to try that new grilled spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A that I had seen on TV  before surgery and I said yes. I was starving! So we stopped by Chick-Fil-A and got one. We made another stop at Walgreens for pain meds. Mom asked if I wanted to stay with her and Dad, but I just wanted my own bed, so she took me to my house. We got to my house at 3pm. I ate the sandwich (it was SO good!), updated Facebook with a quick message and then took a three hour nap. Mom told me to call her when I got up because she didn't want to take the risk of calling and waking me up. So, I called her when I got up and spoke to her and Dad. She told me she spoke with my surgeon (while we were still at the hospital) and he said that the surgery last 45 minutes and everything went well. He gave me internal stiches (to minimize the scar) so there was no need for me to get stiches removed. I'll see him in a month for a follow-up. 

The internal stiches fascinated me. I get them being used in different parts of surgery, but to close up the cut?! I didn't know how that worked. At 9:30pm I finally decided to text my doctor brother to see if he could explain. He called me and explained it (I still can't explain it, so ask my brother if you know him or ask someone else, but don't ask me!) and we talked awhile. I told him it's so nice to have a doctor in the family. My own personal doctor - ha! I told him I was going to call him every hour that night on the hour - haha!! In reality, I try NOT to bug him with medical questions. But it is comforting to know that he's there. I told him I was given a "book" of papers to read upon discharge. I think he might have thought I was joking, but after I got off the phone with him, I counted. There were 32 pages of post-op care and other medical sheets to read through - 32 pages!!!! I sent my brother a text and (jokingly) asked if I needed to initial each one and get them notarized. He responded with "Yes, after memorizing each one." Yes, doctor! 

So I'm all charged up and ready to go! Well, kind of. Sort of. Not really. While I do have a new battery and it's working, it may take up to two weeks to see any improvement in walking. So, it's back to waiting. After all of this, I can truly say that I am THANKFUL that I had to start using a walker again to get around before the surgery because it makes me realize how much the DBS does work and how much freedom it does give me. I know this, but in the day-to-day activities and frustrations, I forget how great a BLESSING this deep brain stimulation and the doctors who know all about it are to me. So, here's to another 2.5 years (at least) of battery life before my next tune-up! 

I do want to say THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for me or sent me a text or called me or even just responded to my Facebook message. The comments and texts yesterday before my surgery settled my heart. I was literally in pre-op reading them! This was a "routine" surgery. Nothing fancy or hard about it and yet it's still surgery and I was still nervous about it. But I felt all the prayers ya'll sent up on my behalf. God calmed my heart and my mind. At one point, I literally prayed: "Please God, don't let me die. Please may I wake up after the surgery." I'm only including this in the blog to show you that I'm not always stoic or "OK" with things. I have an active imagination and I love watching medical dramas, so I freak myself out and worry myself sick. This isn't for sympathy, it's to say thank you for all those who took even just 30 seconds to say a prayer for me. Prayer does indeed work and God is so very compassionate and loving. 

Me today (1/26/21), the day after surgery. Still wearing what I wore yesterday, but sporting a sexy bandage! :)

Always remember....God's Got This!

Tune-In-Tuesday: January 19, 2021

It's been a hectic two weeks since I last updated. I had my pre-anesthesia testing done on January 13. That took awhile. I pre-registered for the DBS battery replacement surgery that will take place on January 25. I got all the paperwork and financial and insurance stuff done. Then I moved over to the medical side of it which was just really answering a bunch a questions. I did get weighed (I really dislike that part!). They took my blood pressure and it was 190/80. WHAT?! They knew that wasn't right, so we waited a few minutes and they took it again and it was 125/80 - MUCH better!!! I'm telling you - that white coat syndrome is real (although in this case, there were no doctors and no white coats, just a nurse in scrubs). They also wanted to do an EKG but I can't get one done because my DBS system messes with it. I found this out by mistake when I had my first DBS battery replacement done in 2018. They did do one then (or tried to do one) and it came out with a starburst on the screen and NO results. :) So I reminded them of that and we had to skip the EKG again. Once I was done with all the pre-anesthesia stuff, I called my primary care doctor who also happens to be located at the hospital. I had to have blood drawn before a scheduled appointment with him. Thankfully, they could fit me in, so I went over to his office and had that done. I got to my car at 4:45pm. I'd been at the hospital for an hour and 45 minutes!

 Today, I had a return visit to my primary care doctor to check my sodium levels. Back in October during a routine physical he found that my sodium level was dangerously low. Normal is between 135-145 and mine was 129. So, he had me start eating more salt. Yes, he actually told me to eat MORE salt. Today, he told me that my levels were good. They were at 137. BUT, he also told me to keep eating all the salt I had been eating since October. He put it down on paper too, by writing me a "prescription" in which he said "Stephanie is on a high sodium (salt) diet." He signed it and everything! HAHAHA. I'm the one who requested a "prescription" for this lest anyone ask why I'm adding so much salt to things. I don't eat a lot of salt to begin with (duh!), so having to remember to add salt/eat salt has been a bit of a challenge for me. He also listened to my heart, which made me feel better about not getting the EKG with the pre-testing and declared that I was good to go for surgery on Monday. 

Side note here: I told my primary care doctor he's the one that jinxed me. He asked me back in October if I had had any surgeries in 2020 and I told him "For once, NO!" And then came December and I found out the battery in my DBS device needs to  be replaced and to do that I need surgery. See - he jinxed me!  At the end of today's appointment he apologized for jinxing me and wished me well with the surgery. All is forgiven. ;) 

Friday, I have to have a COVID test done. It's mandatory before surgery.

And that's it. You should be caught up on everything now. 

Thank you for reading and following along. May you have a blessed rest of your week and always remember.... God's God This! 

Tune-In-Tuesday (but on a Thursday): January 7, 2021: Neurosurgery Update

I saw my neurosurgeon today - rather, I saw his Physician Assistant and we've set up a date to get the battery in my deep brain stimulation device changed out. January 25 is the day. I have to do pre-anesthesia testing on the January 13 and get a COVID test on January 22, but should all of that come back good, I'll get the battery replaced on January 25. Until then, I'll continue to use the walker to prevent any falls. I spoke with the PA about the pain I've been experiencing at the site of the battery and she said that she would make it a point to tell Dr. B. (my surgeon) about it. We're both pretty sure it stems from the initial placement of the battery. My neurosurgeon in Nashville said he placed it under a muscle so that it wouldn't protrude as much. So that may be why it aches when I exercise or lay on it.

I've been going through old pictures and papers of when I initially had the deep brain stimulation surgery and I came upon a curious thing. It was a note that my mom had written and it says that the battery will last 3-5 years. For some reason, I had thought it was 5-10 years and that my battery was just wearing out prematurely, but it always helps to go back to notes or documents that tell the truth. So my battery needing to be replaced around every 2.5 years I guess is normal. The last time I had it replaced was on August 16, 2018. So I'm right on schedule for a new one.

If you really know me, you know, I don't like surgery. So, I'm nervous. It's not a "big" surgery in the least bit. It's "routine" and pretty short as surgeries go, yet I still get nervous. Prayers are very much appreciated.

Thanks again for following along and reading.

I do know that in ALL things, God's Got This!

Tune-In-Tuesday: December 29, 2020

I've resorted to walking with my walker again. My walking has been awful - like before deep brain stimulation surgery - awful. I am having problems walking even with the walker.  It's not just that, but my balance is off. But, there is hope on the horizon and for that I am very, very thankful. In the words of a friend of mine: "Be safe, it's temporary. At least you can confirm again how much of a difference the [deep brain stimulation] surgery made." Yes, yes I can confirm that now! It's easy to lose sight of progress made when I'm in the thick of things, but being reminded of how awful it can be brings immense thankfulness for the modern-day advances in medicine and medical procedures. I am once again reminded how grateful I am for deep brain stimulation surgery! 

Yesterday, I was telling the story to my future sister-in-law of my surgeries and experiences and my brother almost passed out. OK, not really but he was a little squeamish. ;) It's good to remember where you come from. Maybe this was (is) God's intention. He wanted (wants) me to remember from where I came to where I am. I get so bogged down in the day-to-day activities and weariness of dealing with walking issues that I forget how incredibly blessed I am. As I was recalling my experiences, I remembered that for at least a month after the surgery, I couldn't move my left arm and hand. That ability eventually came back - PRAISE THE LORD - and I can type and hold things and lift things and clasp things with that arm and hand. And with my walking - yes, I still have problems - particularly in wide open spaces and places where I feel like I can't grab ahold of something if need be (to steady myself) and walking on certain surfaces is hard (and on others extremely easy - weird, I know) - but I can walk unassisted for the most part. If I need a cane - to walk in parking lots or on certain surfaces - so be it. That was my original goal anyway - to be able to walk with just a cane. And - I have surpassed that with flying colors! It is so, so good to be reminded again of how faithful God was and is. Just typing this makes me smile with joy knowing once the battery is replaced, I will once again get to that place of walking freely for the most part and hopefully not be ashamed if I need the cane every once in awhile.

I've also been having a lot of pain where the battery for the deep brain stimulator is located (right under my collarbone on my left side). It's not painful all the time, but it's noticeable if I sleep on that shoulder or work-out. I've mentioned it both to my neurologist and my primary care doctor. They've both checked it out and neither could find anything wrong. Maybe the neurosurgeon can see if there is anything that's irritating it.   

Steven and Erin asked about my deep brain stimulation device. I showed them my remote and they noticed that the manufacture of my device is Medtronic. It turns out they have a friend who works for Medtronic. It's a small world!

So, if you see me out and about and I'm using my walker or cane, don't be alarmed. I'm using it for safety measures until I can get a "tune-up" and get a new battery. :)

God is so faithful and I can't help but be hopeful and excited about what's to come. So although 2020 has not been good for a lot of people and it's thrown me for a loop too, I am thankful. For in all things and in all circumstances, I can say - God's Got This!