The staples are out

Well...the staples are out. We were feeling froggy and I asked Teresa to take them out and like a champ she broke out the tool and did it. 18 were easy and 4 stunk. My scar is going to be almost un-noticeable once the swelling goes down and we get all the blood out. So if anyone needs staples removed and don't want to pay a co-pay...Teresa can do it.

Some good some bad

A couple of times over the past three days I have thought I am close to 100%. I have been going through the balance game of to pain pill or not to pain pill. That is where you are guessing a little pain or jacked up on pain pills? So Friday I flew a little too close to the sun as I skipped pain pills until about 6pm...Not so genius...I lost the balance game in the PM. However, I still am recovering well.

I am feeling good strength and energy most of the days. The face and mouth pain are by far worst part. It has been great to have time to recover at home. I will be returning to work either the 5th or 12th of March based on how things are progressing.

We have been getting off the mountain for a couple of hours a day and that has been great to gauge where I am at. Have a great weekend...

Day 9

So it has been 9 days since my surgery and recovery is going well. The upside is:

• My fatigue issues are going away fast. I have only had to take 1 nap in the last 3 days.


• Balance issue are becoming rare.


• I have lost 16#'s in 9 days.


• My back and hips are healed.


• I feel sharp in the head.


• I have cut back to only 1 pain pill at a time.

The downside is:

• My mouth still feels like I just got out of the dentist and my lips and lower face tingle. It is hard to distinguish between mashed potatoes and the inside of my cheek.


• The temporal muscle is sore. No Joke Sore.


• BM's and I don't mean buttermilk. I have serious and painful cramps when I have a BM...At least I am having them.

The plan over the next few days is to get these staples (22) out, do my face therapy exercises, build a routine, build energy and start on Thank you cards.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Being a good dad

I really want to make sure that I am helpful with whatever our kids find passion in. So you can only imagine how excited I was this morning when Anthony came out this morning and asked me to teach him how to do a headspin. He got a couple of rotations but I forget to warn him about the messed up hair and how dizzy he might be. I think he found the shirt in our shed. You can see his Pooh practice mat in the background.

Home on the Range

Me, Me, Me and Bumpy McGee...Teresa and I made it home today from Memphis less than a week after brain surgery. It took us two days and on each day we stopped to eat. Teresa felt bad when she hit the bumps and think she might of missed two. The ride was not nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. It took a lot out of me but I wasn't in any additional pain. Today it was exciting to see the boys. They were happy!!! After a half an hour and a couple of pain pills I began my naps...6 hours today. I was nice to be in my own bed.

I see the next week as a steady dose of sleep, short walks and warm baths. I really feel ahead of schedule and that I will be back in no time. Teresa has the tool ready to remove staples this weekend.

The official tumor type was a Schwannoma (nerve sheath tumor). It is very rare and is likely to reoccur. However, it will be a year down the road before Dr. Robertson will decide if we need more surgery and if we do it will be a radiation called gamma knife a year or two down the road. However, the gamma knife is a lot easier than the real knife he used this time.

Glad to be home.

Don't call it a comeback

So here it is only 4 days after brain surgery and I am sitting in my hospital room typing on my BLOG. I can not say enough about the care and support I have had...I really do feel lucky.

You never know what you are going to feel like or what the recovery is going to be... before the surgery I read articles about the headaches, the balance issues and the potential side affects. I have really experienced some pains this week. The headaches and the numbness is really the worst. I really have felt better everyday and think I may get out on Sunday and maybe home by Tuesday or Wednesday.

The worst thing is my mouth as it is not likely to return to normal. Dr. Robertson says that I will learn to live with it...It always feels like I am just getting out of the dentist.

Yesterday we were talking about taking the staples out. Dr Robertson was explaining how easy it is and is giving Teresa the tool to do it herself at home...Is this a good idea? I trust Teresa but maybe Russ and Ann Marie can help with this.

Ken left today and now it is just Teresa and I. I am glad Timora and Ken got to see how lucky I am with a great wife like Teresa and her family.

Have a great weekend.

Safety and Pain Control

Tuesday's and Wednesday's plan was comfort. Today's plan is safety and pain control. This morning we learned that Tony may have permanent loss of feeling in the right side of his face and all of his teeth, not paralysis, so don't expect a droopy cheek. Regular dental checkups will become the norm. Timora and I brushed it off and said he would need worse news than that to get us down. Timora left today at 4pm.

Most of us have had really bad knock you off your feet headaches where we curl up in bed and sleep it off. Tony has this headache, no feeling in his teeth, and a bunch of people telling him he needs to walk, brush his teeth, and eat. Maybe the headache is from Mountain Dew withdrawal. Maybe not. He's taking the pain in stride. I think he knows that the post-op phase is over and it's time for recovery.

Tony's rock has been Teresa. She's been following doctors orders which isn't always what Tony wants to do. Last night Tony woke up at 11pm and said he wanted to wake up and talk for a while. Lucky for Tony, Teresa was within a few feet cramped up on a mini pull out bed ready to talk. Teresa and I are sharing the massage duties, careful not to pull out the IV in his neck. Tony said if I ever get a brain tumor he will reciprocate the love.

Without food, Tony tends to want to vomit his pain medication which is very painful. The problem is that having no sensation in his teeth is making him gag. Dr. Robertson said Tony will learn to deal with it. He chewed a piece of jello about 20 times not knowing whether or not it was ready to swallow.

For everyone's benefit, Tony will make a joke to let us know he's ok. No smiles, just a joke. He didn't even laugh at the balloon that came with flowers from Cathy. It said, "Hope you're fishin' REEL soon". Flowers also arrived from Sodexho which really brightens up the room. Unfortunately, there will be no sleeping off of this headache. He's going to have to walk, eat, shower, brush his teeth, and drive 6 hours to Chattanooga this weekend.

The official staple count was 20, not 40. Also, for those of you who received pictures, we learned why they didn't shave his head. New research says that having hair in the wound actually helps the healing process by acting as an antibacterial agent.

Much love in Tennessee,
Ken