Week Four Post-Op

The Convalescent Willard Leroy Metcalf

Week 4 was a bit of a roller coaster. I started out by getting worse but luckily ended the week feeling better. I think I overdid it activity-wise at the beginning of the week and paid for it. The swelling around the leads got worse and the pain increased. So I had to backtrack and rest a lot more to allow myself to heal. I was still on the couch 24/7 all during the week save a few trips to the massage table each day.

The dermabond came off of the incisions on my mid-back and neck. I ended up peeling off the dermabond over the battery pack incision. I was very happy with the appearance of the scar and all the bruising (and almost all the swelling) was gone. It was still tender if I pressed right on it.

The headaches were rough all week. I kept the stimulator on 24/7, but I was still unhappy with the coverage I was getting (especially with the left AT nerve lead).

By the end of the week, the swelling had subsided some. I also recovered enough energy to leave the house to have frozen yogurt. It felt so great to get out for a little while and rejoin the real world.

Just a reminder to those of you out there considering the surgery. I was disabled before I got these headaches from chronic Epstein-Barr and fibromyalgia. As such, my healing time will take about twice as long as the "normal" person because it causes these conditions to flare. Also, I got the stimulator not just for headaches but for nerve pain in my head. So, the sensitivity I feel in my head post-surgery might also be more pronounced than someone without cranial neuralgias.