Post-Op: Day 2

Believe it or not, two whole days have passed since my operation on Wednesday. I definitely can't believe it. I know the time prior to today was definitely a blur, as I found myself drifting in and out of sleep. I don't think there was a time within the first 24 hours after the operation that I managed to stay awake longer than an hour and a half. I wish I could tell you what happened yesterday, but to be honest, my internal clock is so screwed up, that while I can remember certain things happening (like certain people visiting, etc.) I wouldn't be able to tell you who visited in what order or when things happened. In fact, for the majority of the day yesterday, I thought that my operation had been that morning. My grandmother came over to visit, and I remembered seeing her at the hospital Wednesday morning before and after the operation, but when I saw her yesterday, it seemed like I had only just seen her that morning...it took me a few minutes to clear my befuddled self and realize the operation had not, in fact, been that morning, but had been over 24 hours prior! That just shows you how much sleep I managed to get after the operation. If my previous two blog entries don't make any sense, that's probably because I was half-asleep when I wrote them or just severely hyped up on the several different kinds of medicine I've been taking...mostly pain-killers.

Speaking of pain, I'm surprised at how little pain there has been. Aside from some discomfort that seems most likely attributed to the stitches...I haven't had the major headaches that I expected. When I talk, laugh, or chew too much food at once, the skin behind my ear tightens some, causing the stitches to pull a bit, and that can usually hurt. My ear is very numb, which is to be expected, and if you look closely, you'll notice that my left ear is also sticking out a little farther than usual. All part of the post-op recovery, and it should be fixed pretty soon! Perhaps the most annoying thing about all of this has been the dizziness. While I expected there to be some dizziness, I forgot how annoying it can be, nor did I expect this much. In all, though, I am able to get up and move around a bit more like a normal person. I have to slow down sometimes and remind myself that if I'm not careful, I might end up bumping into a wall or something.

Today was spent on the couch in our living room. I managed to get my Xbox down here. This means that in the last 24 hours, I've managed to accomplish things that few others have been able to do...a) the Clemson Tigers are on the verge of winning their fourth straight National Championship...b) Manchester United is well on the way to winning the Champion's League, the FA Cup, and the Premier League and c) Master Chief is still at his best, slaying the Covenant and flood alike...

A few visitors stopped by, and it was wonderful to see them. I must admit, I don't feel like my normal self, as I'm not able to laugh and talk as much as I am normally accustomed to because it can be a bit discomforting. But, just having people to sit next to me and tell me what's going on the 'real world' has been wonderfully comforting. Looking forward to seeing some more of you soon!

Finally, I must remind you...it's going to be about another three weeks before I am actually able to make any further progress with this cochlear implant process. The next step from here is to recover from the operation...for the swelling to go down and the stitches to go away...before I return to the hospital to be fitted with the external device. Only then will I be able to actually listen with my implant. Unlike a hearing aid, which I could just plug in and go...I have to wait a bit for the next piece of the puzzle. With that being said, my hearing in my right ear (with the hearing aid) has been somewhat affected by the operation, but I think that's just because there' s a lot of pressure in my ears right now. I can still hear with my hearing aid, but for some reason, it's a little different than it was before I went into the O.R. So, anyway, I'm pretty much unable to use the phone, but I definitely hope that my implant will start making a difference shortly after I finally get the external device!

Hope y'all are having a great summer! Hope to see some of you soon!

The Tigers play baseball in Waco, TX tomorrow against Baylor in a best-of-three series...the winner gets a trip to Omaha for the College World Series! Bet you won't have much trouble figuring out what I'm going to be watching tomorrow at noon!