Yep, I’m scared to get my head wet after a recent craniotomy to remove an egg-sized fibrous dysplasia near my ear and jaw (benign, so NO cancer detected!). I’m really afraid of fainting and potentially hitting my head so soon after surgery (just under 2 weeks since I was under the knife for about 6 hours, I think?). Yes, fainting post craniotomy really is a thing.
Doctors are impressed with my progress, that the swelling went down so quickly and I’m looking so much closer to “normal” already. Thank you continuous ice packs, including one from a Forum-mate, Stacey (the Headache hat has been a LIFEsaver, lady!)
Yes, the video is rambly. It’s been raining here (headache pounds more) and oh, yeah, I had major head surgery about 2 weeks ago, so I feel like this is a decent representation of how I’m interacting with visitors on average, without editing for conciseness. Today has been the first semi-edited video since surgery, so I threw in a quick new intro, but no music or sound effects. Better sound can be available for this video, as I did use lav mic, but it was an unnecessary step for those who simply want an update on my current condition.
Video transcript
So the doctors have said “yep it’s time for you be able to wash your hair” and I thought I would be so excited about washing my hair right now, but I’m thinking, okay, how much is it going to hurt?
I know there are clumps of blood in there and I definitely cannot see them. The last time I saw blood getting free–I don’t know, be liquefied I guess–a little foggy today–reconstituted maybe–from my band-aid after they had taken out the IV for my colonoscopy. I took a shower, saw blood coming from my arm. Turned out it was because shower water running through the bandage reconstituted some blood and I promptly fainted in the shower even though I was able to rationalize with my brain and say “look this doesn’t make any sense, you know that’s not fresh.” Didn’t matter–I still passed out in the shower.
So I’m hoping to avoid that today. Don’s going to help me clean it up a little bit and that way I’m gonna have first shampoo. Probably be using some Johnson’s baby shampoo. Other fears are that, oh my gosh, what if I come across another metal suture piece or something like that. I don’t want to go back into the doctor–I’m kind of done with doctors right now.
My doctors are fantastic, don’t get me wrong. Just the last place I want to be right now is anywhere near hospital. I like being at home–this is much much nicer–so I guess we’re going to do this. Yeah I know I’m gonna feel so much better afterward and it’s gonna be another relief. It’s gonna be another step that shows that I’m on the road to recovery.
I’m sorry for the haltingness of this. My brain is still quite foggy and I’m not actually on all that much cannabis at the moment. In fact, I really need to go medicate. I think it’s been a few too many hours, so I guess I’ll see you afterward–after all the shampooing gets done throughout. Just don’t want to touch it.
I guess I’ll see you after that and maybe I’ll do another update on how the post-op appointments went. Everything was great. Maybe I’ll–if I have enough energy–post a few details. Won’t be much in the way of videos being edited just yet–mainly because of light sensitivity.
I think I’m gonna go back to my cave dweller existence with just some dim lamps on around because this is a bit much. That’s why there’s no light stand today at all–no additional light–you get what you get with the light today.
Later…Not long after a successful first shampoo, I fainted.
Everything is fine…this is “normal” for me. I’ve had dizziness and fainting since I fainted in elementary school choir practice, taking down about half of the choir with me.
Just further evidence that I have to take things slowly still…which I am doing.
