4 Months/19 Years April 15, 2014, 4:49 PM

4 months/19 years. Two significant periods of time for me to celebrate in this update.
4 months: It has been 4 months since my brain and spinal cord surgeries and the results have been nothing short of a long-awaited and prayed for medical miracle. My pre-surgery medications numbered 21 and supported the function of nearly every organ system in an attempt to keep me alive as well as attempting (poorly) to manage my excruciating pain. As I posted in my January update and continuing to now, all of my organ systems are functioning excellently and normally on their own to the dismay and disbelief of my numerous specialists. I have had some intermittent issues with muscle spasms in my neck from where the muscles were cut during surgery and then also stretched an inch for the fusion. This has caused some pain and resulting headaches with nausea and vomiting. Overall, resolution has been achieved with muscle relaxers and physical therapy. As of the last two weeks, no medicine has been needed for these issues. I remain free of pain medicine for the first time in over two decades. My biggest issue right now is severe insomnia. It has been 26 years since my brain has not been influenced by a potent cocktail of medications. My medical providers feel the problem is that my brain is trying to figure out what existing in a natural state is all about. It is trying to learn the natural rhythms of day and night that have been compromised for so long with medications and unrelenting pain. I am in the process of trial and error with some sleep medicines to bridge the gap until natural functioning can occur. I am thrilled to report that this is the only medicine I am taking. The only other hiccup I am experiencing is some recent pain and numbness in my arms and hands/fingers as I become more active. Current opinion is that this is due to muscle spasms and inflammation along the cervical nerve tracts. We will continue to watch this development. Hence, to emphasize, I am essentially medicine free for the first time in 26 years (minus a three month stretch after my first brain surgery in 2000) and functioning without the numerous deficits or pain with which I presented before surgery.[...]

Reminder About Get Together and Meal Train January 17, 2014, 5:16 AM

Hey Everybody! This is Stephanie again.[...]

Get Together and Meal Train January 9, 2014, 4:35 AM

Hi this is Steph again![...]

Happy New Year! January 2, 2014, 5:52 AM

Happy New Year! It is with great joy that I feel well enough to write you today and relieve my faithful husband of having another update to write! I'm sure you, like me, have found him to be an amazing writer so I hope you can bear with me as I bring you the latest news. I think everyone would also agree that Steve has the wonderful ability to be concise! My surgeries haven't helped my long-windedness. Sorry.[...]

Join us on SATURDAY if you can! December 24, 2013, 7:04 PM

For those of you in Tennessee (or interested in traveling), we would love to have an opportunity to see you and catch up if your schedules permit. I originally indicated we were looking at Sunday, but after aligning all of the family schedules, we've landed on SATURDAY, December 28th from 5:30 to 8 pm at 3620 Warmstone Way, Knoxville, 37931.[...]

We made it!
December 24, 2013, 2:57 AM

I'll keep this update brief because we just made it to Lee's Grandmother's house (she is 96 and still lives by herself) and she is very anxious for some "quality time". I know many of you have been praying faithfully for our trip over the past two days and I am ecstatic to report that we made it over 700 miles with no problems and Lee rode comfortably the entire way (see the photo album for the definition of "travelling in style"). I'll let her fill you in on the details personally in the near future but she reports a truly miraculous ride across some of the roughest roads in the country with NO increased pain. She continues to have significant relief from many of her other previous symptoms and her stamina and pain control are improving daily. We are so blessed and thankful![...]

She's escaped! December 21, 2013, 11:37 PM

I am excited and thankful to report that Lee had another overall good night (with the exception of your standard hospital interruptions every hour) and was released around lunch time today! She then successfully survived the next test of endurance: her first car ride in New York City traffic (see the latest photo). After making it safely back to our hotel, she was able to find a comfortable position and grab a nap before enjoying her first post-hospital meal (KFC was her choice...I did offer something a bit more glamorous but the Colonel was her craving).[...]

Progressing well December 20, 2013, 4:29 PM

You can see how far Lee has come by taking a look at the newest photo. Her P.T. buddy/cheerleader Meghan took her for a stairclimbing expedition yesterday and said Lee summited in record time for having had two surgeries in less than a week (Meghan also made some other fairly disparaging comments about the whining/resistance she was getting from male patients who had gone through much less, but my pride prevents me from sharing those comparisons). Yesterday lived up to its reputation for being the roughest from a pain and stiffness standpoint, but Lee pushed through and got in 3 good walks in addition to the
stairs.[...]

"Action-packed" Wednesday December 19, 2013, 3:05 PM

Yesterday and last night turned out to be quite the "ride" for Lee. While we'd originally been told that she would have to remain flat for 24 hours, Dr. B. rolled in about 2 pm in his typical
"brisk and spirited" fashion and had one hand on the bed-elevate button while he was wadding up the restrictions sign and throwing it at me with the other. Lee is pretty certain he now has claw marks on his wrist to go with the scar on his head that he received when he ran into some of her hardware and required stitches 13 years ago.[...]

Settling back in... December 18, 2013, 4:12 PM

Lee remained in the Recovery Room over night but was already fully awake and had the breathing tube out by the time I made it back to see her. We are very thankful that they appear to have developed an anesthesia "cocktail" that agrees with her! We just got her moved back to the regular neurology floor and settled in a room. She has to remain flat for 24 hours from surgery, so that is about 10 pm EST tonight. She's not too upset with that since she is quickly realizing that most EVERY movement requires involvement of the low
back and hers is pretty aggrevated from the surgery.[...]