In My Head
...Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific!
31 03 06 Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific!
Inspired by my first shower in a week and a half, I had a flash back to that shampoo manufactured in the mid-1970s by Jergens called "Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific." I had a friend who used it, and I have to admit, her hair DID smell terrific! I still remember the Who's On First-like conversation we had when I asked her the name of her shampoo. Out of curiosity, I Googled it to find out what happened to it. Apparently it was available into the 1980s but then the company stopped making it - in the US, that is. It's still being made and sold in the Philippines, and it's possible to order it online. I think for now I'll just settle for the fantasy that someone said that to me today. Unfortunately, after being all cleaned and de-frizzed, I've nowhere to go, and Aaron has a poor sense of smell!Obviously, if I showered, that means the doctor gave me the go-ahead. I almost didn't get to see him, thanks to some scheduling snafus. There was no way I was leaving that office without getting clearance for all my restrictions!
Dr. Hirsch looked in my ear through a microscope, and said that there's blood behind the eardrum - which is to be expected, and one cause of my pain. The reason my jaw hurts - I've been unable to open it very much; I couldn't even eat a hoagie the other night - is because my mouth was opened wide for the anesthesia. Jaw/joint pain can affect the ear as well. He recommended using a heating pad and taking some Motrin 20 minutes before meals. As one would expect, all the pain I'm experiencing should get better with time. It could take at least three more weeks before I'm feeling more normal. He reminded me that this was pretty major surgery - my head was cut open. There's still swelling and risk of the area not healing right - which is why I have to be careful when doing certain things, like exercising. Apparently the blood in my ear will drain out, either through my ears, nose or throat. What a lovely thing to look forward to!
The doctor took off the tape that covered my stitches, and said the area is flat and the scar is good. I'm to put some antibiotic cream on the stitches twice a day until the area feels smooth to the touch. I asked about the yellow on my neck, which I attributed to a Betadine stain and have tried everything to get rid of. Turns out it's not Betadine - it's blood in the skin. In other words, nothing I can do but wait for it to go away.
My mom came in the day before surgery and stayed until Wednesday afternoon of this week. Between Aaron and friends, I had help through the appointment today, and now I guess it's back to reality no matter what pain I'm still experiencing. At this point it's intermittent throughout the day. On Wednesday, I don't know if it was from going up and down the basement stairs doing lots of wash, but I ended up having to relax on the couch for the whole afternoon due to bad pain in my ear.
Even though I have a shaved area and hair that takes forever to grow, the rest of my hair covers it. If you look at me, you can't tell that I've had anything done there. If I were to put my hair in a ponytail, it would be noticeable. By the time I get used to not having any equipment on that side of my head, it'll be time to start wearing my processor. Now that I've gotten through the surgery and am slogging through what seems like an endless recovery, I'm starting to get a little excited - albeit apprenhensive - about what lies ahead. Activation is April 20.
Congratulations on your hair-washing milestone! I’m sure it made a big difference in your outlook on life. What an incredibly complicated process to live through! But it seems like you’re doing everything right – just don’t push too hard too soon (easier said than done, I know, particularly with 2 little ones).
Suzy () - 01 04 06 - 11:14
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