1 month gammiversary already?!?!

Where did this month go?!?!

For the most part, recovery has been nothing but smooth. My puncture points are healing nicely and almost totally gone. I still wear bandaids on my face but only when I'm going outside into the sun. (If I'm inside for the night, I can take them off) They don't hurt to touch anymore-- but when I press they do still bother me... but it does take longer for bruised bone to heal.
I started easing back into work last week and this week will be my first full week back (except that tomorrow is a national day off-- Thank you to everyone who has and is fighting for our country!!)
I have a follow up appointment with my neurologist next week to make sure that everything is still neurologically sound with me, and then the next milestone will be 11 months from today when I get my first post-gamma MRI.

It has been an incredible month not worrying about my AVM for the first time since November 2011. And I am so thankful to everyone who helped me through.

Happy 1 week gammiversary!

So, it's been one week since gamma knife!
The amount of support and love sent to me and my family has been unbelievably incredible!
Braink you so much from the bottom of my heart (bottom of my brain?) for everything each of you have done for us!

As for my update.

I have been wearing 2 circle bandaids on my face where the punctures were in my forehead to bolt the head cage on. I have to wear the bandaids until the punctures are totally healed to reduce the chance of scarring and infection. I change the bandaids 3 times a day and each time I change it I see a huge improvement in the healing of the punctures. I also have two puncture wounds in the back of my head. Those are annoying. I feel like a new mother because I cant sleep through the night. Every time I roll over in my sleep it wakes me up in pain. So I haven't had a good night sleep all week.

Other than that, I have to take it easy still. I am still in the two week window of potential residual swelling. I get tired more frequently because of the combination not sleeping well at night and the anesthesia in my system.

I do feel a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders since the procedure; even though we wont know for sure that it's gone for up to 3 years. I can't wait until these two weeks are up and I can return to my life as normal-- without having the fear of an AVM hanging over my head.

I have an appointment with my neurologist on Monday. He just wants to check out my punctures and just see how I am doing. Other than that, my next brain appointment should be in a year for an MRI.

So, here are the top comments I have received this week about my bandaids:
* Got your horns removed?
* Target practice gone wrong?
* Quitting smoking?
* I can only imagine what the other guy looks like!

My 2 responses:
* I had brain surgery on Friday.  (Let them wonder why I have only two bandaids for brain surgery...)
* Last time I use groupon for botox...

Braink you again!