doppelganger

It's been awhile since I've written - right now we are just in a holding pattern, waiting for the next brain pictures to see whats going on.  I am completely off the steroids now (since Monday) and still the only things I've noticed are the tiredness (the steroids really had me wired!) - everything seems to take a lot of effort again!  Which is a little frustrating but I keep reminding myself that the energy I had wasn't real - and that its good to know when I need to slow down and rest and not have that masked by the drugs.   The numbness in my face also continues - still not nearly as bad as in the beginning AND I haven't lost my sense of taste - I'm thankful for that! My vision is much better as is the balance - I rarely even use my cane anymore.  And I've been driving - when Ben is with me, but I do pretty well!

My next MRI is coming up this Friday (5.31) so we can see how things look after being off the steroids.  I meet with the neurologist the following Wednesday (6.5).  I expect there may be more inflammation again, but hopefully the lesion itself isn't any bigger (or has shrunk more - I'd take that!) We will also determine at that time whether I can get on a plane to London the following

photo by Suzy Gaeddert

week.   Its time for the biannual Goering-Gaeddert family reunion and this year we will gather in London hosted by Barry and family (picture is some of us at our 2009 get together in  San Diego).  Dr. Vaillant said last time he didn't see why I couldn't go as long as things still looked good but wanted to reassess again before the trip.  So send good vibes!  We will only be gone a week and I will have lots of folks to take care of me and remind me to take it easy.

So let me explain the title of this post.  I went for a check-in with Dr. Stonecipher on Thursday.  We talked about my left side, which is still less coordinated and not as much under my control (I feel like) as the right - interesting new theory. He says because I'm right handed and left brain dominant I need to be very conscious about using/working my left side because not only is my natural default to use the right side (esp my right hand) but he says my brain is sabotaging efforts to work the left.  That consciously I can know I need to use my left side but my brain tells my body not to because it's easier/faster to use the right.  So when Ben tells me to type with both hands and 10 min later finds me only using my right again that I might not be doing it consciously(ie. I'm NOT ignoring him!) - it's my evil left brain trying to take over!!    But if i don't use it i'll loose it...and it may not matter now but in 20 years I want to have full use of both sides of my body!  I was at work on Thursday and was very conscious of just how much I don't use my left hand.  So whether he's right about the left brain  doppelganger sabotaging things at least I am going to be much more intentional about giving my left side things to do!! And Ben gets to keep nagging me. =) So I've started a left side training program.  It may take 45 minutes to type a paragraph but darn-it I'm going to use both hands - left brain be damned!

Thank you for continuing to care for us through your thoughts and prayers.