palm trees and metal

I've discovered a new Nintendo game, Hudson's Adventure Island II. I love characters, music, and the game play. They even have happy game over music. It's just a joy and fun to play this and a good escape from my chronic pain issues. 

My shunt has been behaving itself the last few days. I had some double vision this morning when I turned my head, occasionally my eyes become misaligned. TMJ issues today along with tinnitus. I attempted to build a puzzle over the weekend and came to realization I needed more table space. I wonder how my new brain will process constructing a puzzle. Haven't done one in years prior to my injuries. 

I was at a doctor's appointment recently and the nurse commented on my medical ID bracelet. She told me she doesn't see them very often and that it was a good idea for me to be responsible for my health. There are several places where you can purchase one here are some examples: 

Medical Alert Foundation 

Medical Alert Bracelets

Lauren's Hope

American Medical ID

dizzy with a side of pizza tv

In the last week, I've two days that were pain free. Today, I realized I still have numbness around my mouth. I have csf pressure in my forehead, chiari malformation headache in the back of my head, some tmj issues in my right ear and of course, my personal favorite, balance issues when walking and standing. This makes me sad, most often when they happen often. Especially since I remember not having these issues before my brain injuries in 2014.

What makes me smile when I have chronic pain and to escape briefly from the global pandemic?  Samurai Pizza Cats, puzzles and listening to birds.  

right eye and a slice of apple

 After having a conversation with my neuro ophthalmologist last year during a check up with my right eye....He told me the pain I have occasionally behind my eye is not from my strabismus surgery in 2015, rather it's from the injuries I had in 2014. I would hope this is different in the afternoon. I was hungry around 3am this morning only to have chronic pain and hoped for like a second, that it would go away once I finished part of my apple. I've taken pain reliever this morning and yesterday....there's been little change. What makes me feel a little better...a sugar free chocolate chip cookie...

7th with tea

This week ( on 3/6/21) marks seven years since surviving multiple brain injuries during a cerebral shunt revision surgery in 2014. I made a short film about my injuries a preview is available here.  I've had barometric pressure headaches and shunt pain a different times this weekend and into today. Right eye pain with pain along the distal catheter at the top of my head with some nausea. I suspect my shunt is adjusting itself today....something it does when the weather changes or if I stand up or sit down. As I do every year, I had a birthday pastry, deciding on a muffin this year with a side of tea.   

puzzles

Almost tipped over backwards this week due to balance issues. The last two days I've headaches in the back of my head (from chiari malformation). I also had a random Tinnitus episode in my right ear which hasn't happened in months. The curamin I've occasionally be taking for pain hasn't worked much in the last 48 hours. 

At least the curamin helped when I used it earlier this month. 

The barometric pressure outside is not helping. 

At least there's music, art, movies, puzzles, video games and books to distract from the chronic pain chaos.

 

And then there were vitamins

 At least today I don't feel like removing my shunt from my brain with a kitchen knife. Right eye and shunt pain was reduced by 100% when I took the vitamin curamin this morning. Yesterday, it worked for the morning and then pain returned during mid day and continued into the evening.  For now, I'm not waging a war against my shunt.

In my attempt to escape from both chronic pain and the pandemic we are all living in right now... I found two things that bring joy to my heart: music and fun commercials.

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Intro & Outro - YouTube

Kia Sock Monkey Commercial - YouTube

A great escape.

Titinus and the eye

This month, tinnitus  has returned with occasional episodes of vertigo with a side of walking issues.

I haven't heard noises behind my right eye (strabismus surgery eye) for about a month. My shunt for the most part is behaving itself the last few days. A few weeks ago I felt a sharp pain run down the side of my neck along the distal catheter. I was worried the shunt might be getting obstructed again as I had a similar feeling in 2011 and the day after my shunt was obstructed and I was in the Emergency Room.  

I do talk to my shunt sometimes, thinking  I can convince it to behave especially when it's causing pain like I experienced a few weeks ago.  Eventually, the pain went away and I was relieved that my fears of having surgery again did not become a reality. 

While I am not in the operating room now, I do think about the children and adults who are having shunt revision surgery during this pandemic.