2 weeks Post-Op

It's hard to believe its been 2 weeks since the brain tumor resection. The rundown of symptoms with improvements are as follows -
Scar = Looking great, feeling a little 'tight' still.
Tinnitus = Virtually no change, fullness/under-water feeling, with constant buzzing that changes to a ring sometimes. Still loud and irritating.
Face = Ben and my parents think they could see a tiny movement at the corner of my mouth while I talk. I am unsure. Eye still doesn't close quite all the way, burned like crazy in the shower this morning. (Stupid face wash)
Walk = Getting better everyday! I'm still amazed at how awesome the human body is. Steps are the biggest improvement from a day or two ago. I can walk up them slowly without a handrail.
Voice = Hasn't seemed to change in the past few days. It's still difficult to raise the volume, and it is physically tiring to have a conversation more than a few sentences. Swallowing has improved quickly though, I would estimate 85% recovery there.
Headache = Still none! Awesome!
Over-all = I am so happy with the progress. Going from needing help to go to the bathroom, to going for a walk around the block by myself in less than two weeks is incredible. I am very grateful for the progress, and am looking forward to getting 'back to normal', no matter what it's going to be like.

The big adventure today was my first physical therapy appointment. It was scheduled at 2pm, so I was afraid that I'd miss my nap. And I did miss it. I will not make that mistake again. I need my nap. I just tried to go for a walk around the block, and turned around at the end of the driveway. No nap = Yes dizzy. Back to PT, it was really beneficial. It's strictly balance related; unfortunately, she's not going to turn me into a super-athlete. She said we have 3 balance systems: Ears, Muscles & Joints, and Vision. She said it's 'nice' that we know for sure which one of mine is causing the chaos, we already know that much. (I don't remember her name, for now she will be 'she') She had me stand on a cushion and balance, taking away my 'muscles & joints' balance system. It was difficult, but doable. She then had me close my eyes. I lasted about 1.5 seconds, and grabbed the wall. She said it was a 'kind of mean' test, but just wanted to see the severity of my balance problem. After about 40 minutes of different walking, and balance moves, the day came to a close. I was definitely getting fatigued toward the end, it seemed the dizziness came on quicker at the end of the session. She said that mild to moderate dizziness is what we want, it means my brain is learning to function with one good ear. I have appointments twice a weeks for three weeks. I also got a list of balance exercises to do twice a day. I am excited to have a plan now, the PT is going to be time well spent.
The PT also said that they have a machine that they 'strap' you into, and it will gauge your balance system. It also has the ability to give people balance workouts as well. She said that she waits until the second time to test people, because it can be pretty intense. After three weeks or so, you take the same test and you can chart exactly how much you've improved. It sounds really neat. My next appointment is Friday, so hopefully I can try it out then.
I also received my new-to-me bike trainer in the mail today! It's sweet, and definitely contributed to wearing me out today. It 'holds' the back wheel of your bike, so it's the exact same set-up as riding outside only minus crazy drivers and the potholes. I used it for about 2 minutes, and I started to get pretty dizzy. It is awesome though, I love it. I'll have no excuse if I get fat this winter, now I have a bike trainer and a treadmill. Let me know if you see a good deal on an olympic-sized pool... ; - )