Three Years Later: A Little Screwy in the Head

This week is the start of 8 weeks of "anniversaries" for me. Yesterday, April 10, was the three-year anniversary of my brain tumor diagnosis. Some would call me grim for remembering such an occasion, but I still feel fortunate to be alive, so being able to remember that painful day gives me reason to celebrate.

So, where am I now?? Well, I have come a LONG way since my diagnosis. In many ways, I don't feel like the same person I was then. The course of my illness changed me, and I hope I am a better, more loving, more patient, more grateful person today than I was then.

While I am doing better, I am not "better" in the sense of being completely recovered and healed. I often wonder if that day will ever come. I have faith that it will...even when the doctors tell me otherwise.

For now, I am in a good place, albeit, a little screwy in the head. These X-rays were taken last week when I started treatment with a new doctor. When I saw the screws actually sticking out of my skull, it sure explained a lot! I still have extreme sensistivity there, and I cannot sleep on my right side, or put pressure on the right side of my head because of the pain. Now I can see why.

This photo caused my a bit of shock. I saw the mark that appears to be a snowflake, and I thought it was intentionally there to make note of something on my X-rays, I didn't realize it is actually part of my head! The snowflake mark is the titanium "pull tab" that covers the hole used to drill into my skull to access my brain for my surgeries. Now that I am used to it, I admit, I like my little (big) snowflake.

To the far right, you can also see the spring in my eyelid. In the photo, it looks like a safety pin, without the "pin" point, which is about accurate. That little miraculous creation helps me blink my eye every day. I am so grateful to see it is still working well!

This X-ray show another view of my screws. Though it is a little crazy to think of all the hardware I now have in my head, I guess I should just be grateful these little screws keep my skull in place so my brain doesn't fall out! :)

No tears today, only reasons to celebrate and rejoice! What can you celebrate today??