My Pet Head-Rock

Today it has been exactly six weeks since my surgery. Though fatigue from a craniotomy may last up to two months, which is probably standard for many surgeries, the 6-week mark ends the recovery period for most craniotomies. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s disruptive to switch teachers right before the end of term, I might have gone back to work this week. The physical and mental issues that have plagued me since the craniotomy have also cleared up for the most part. If I take any painkillers now, it is usually for a garden-variety migraine or other “non-skull-based” issue. My incision is still scabby in spots and my hair , which was so quick to reemerge, is still only very short stubble. Some of it is growing in the wrong direction, so I may come out of this with a new cowlick at the top of my head. I no longer fatigue from having to look at and listen to somebody/something at the same time, and multi-step processes and complex decisions are getting easier to do. (See post...

Craniotomates are told to take four to six weeks off of work after surgery. Due to the nature of my job (teaching = getting a long-term sub) and the holiday schedule, I am fortunate enough to get two entire months off. Since my pain and discomfort are minimal, this sounds like a great time to kick back and get caught up on my Netflix streaming, no? No.    Brain surgery is unlike other surgeries, I’ve realized. When I had my colon removed in 1985, I indulged myself in MTV and Danger Mouse and listened to tapes of Howard Jones and OMD . When I had exploratory abdominal surgery in 1991, I watched news about the Gulf War and The Golden Girls. I listened to my tunes when there was nothing good on TV. But now, after my craniotomy, my house is often silent. Brains are complicated things, simultaneously fragile and remarkably resilient. Brain surgery and the medications prescribed for swelling and seizures afterward mess with the functioning in some subtle and not-so-...