How to start,, before surgery I was (eg, personality traits / skills), after surgery I.
I'll give it a go as I'm up for a laff.
1.) Before surgery I had no real grasp of mortality.
After surgery I craved fish and chips. but kind of got the mortality thing a bit more over time - a long time. 2.) Before surgery I'd get drunk.
After surgery I didn't need to get drunk or stoned as I found my brain had developed the amazing and at times very annoying ability to hallucinate and trip out.
3.) Before surgery I was likeable and popular After surgery I had times when I'd be an angry intolerant b****
I'm still working on eradicating this. Not particlarly successful at times.
4.) Before surgery I had no idea that employers could be soooo stooopid. After surgery I realised I was the stooopid / stubborn one.
1).The grasp on mortality was one of my favorite parts of this whole process, I think. 2). Imagine the money you're saving on alcohol these days, right?
3). You are still likeable and popular, at least with this group and we're all that matters. We can all be angry intolerant b....s at times, myself included.
4). And...you most definitely are not stupid!
Before surgery I spent a lot of time in the bedroom *************************************************
after surgery, i can't get a date, if I paid one
Before surgery, i was glamorous, at least in my own mind! After surgery, I'm a misfit, with a really bad hair cut-post scalping by my neuro!
apparently neurosurgeons don't take a course in cosmotology!
Before surgery i was wild
after surgery, i am scared of my shadow
before surgery i was skinny
post surgery the Wii called me obese; I don't need that kinda crap from a gaming consol made in Japan, where everyone weighs in the double digits
WELL, THIS WAS REALLY FUN! and cleansing as well
Cheers,
Nicole
1.) Before surgery I could text and watch tv and surf the internet and answer emails and drive and perform cartwheels--all at the same time, no problems. Now I can barely drive and listen to the radio at the same time, so don't even ask me why I didn't answer your text within 1 minute or answer your call while I'm driving!
2.) Before surgery, I could drink like there's no tomorrow, now I don't drink like there is a tomorrow! :)
3.) Before surgery, I thought I didn't have many friends. After surgery, I found I had even fewer friends!
4.) Before surgery, I could put up with a lot of ****, now I can't tolerate even a little ****.
before surgery: I was directed and goal driven and things came easy to me
After surgery: even more directed and goal driven even though things took 3x as long
Mortality was a thing in the distance – now I totally get it!
2)before surgery I drank socially, now I drink less but I did have a fabulous New Years eve!
I totally know what you mean by your brain tripping out, although I have no hallucinations, I can be “drunk” from not going to bed on time.
3)before I was scared and sometimes crabby, now I am laid back, tolerant, and less anxious
after I am very careful around employers – sometimes when they find out or know that you have a deficit or issue they look for things to be wrong, wherein you find yourself looking for another job
Before surgery I was happy go lucky focused on the year and decade ahead! After surgery I forget what day it is!!
Before surgery I was engaged.
After surgery he left me because I had anger managment issues!! He wonders why I am pissed?
Before surgery I didnt see the flowers or hear the birds or even slow down long enough to sit in the sun. Now I move like a turtle. Not sure if it is the surgery or the words spoken to me that day...."you have a 13% survival rate with age and size of this AVM in youyr head. We need to operate."
1) before surgery: had no idea what mortality was. thought i was lucky if i made it to 29, thought i was screwed if i made it to 30. after surgery: find it difficult sometimes to even want to visualize 29 (im 28)but somehow found the importance of surviving(?[still up in the air on that ne, i guess]) 2)before surgery, heavy smoker, a pack a day, a couple j's a day. occassional beer. after surgery: too afraid to smoke a cig (i kinda like not smoking anyway.) in between regret and glee that i decided to puff,puff again. also gained a not-so-disturbing ability to hallucinate (i just wish it wasnt bugs, black dots or what i call sparlkies all the time). but there is a deafening silence i cannot get used to no matter how hard i try. it should b comforting but instead i miss my own personal ocean that was in my head (the whoosh-whoosh of the avm "feeding")
3) i was never popular but i was somewhat likeable. ppl said i was a bit too honest sometimes, sometimes it made ppl laugh, sometimes it just made them mad. but now i am emotionally unstable it seems--at least to everyone else lol.
4) i was a hard worker, always on the move, doing more than one thing at a time, sometimes more than 2. after surgery.....i cant make a sandwhich unless someone is there to open the mayo jar for me....god forbid i want a pickle.
Thanks for your replies, I hope this discussion keeps rolling in a humorous direction. I particularly like the freshness, humour and bravery of your answers. xx
Have thought of another one. Before surgery I thought my lifes' milesthones would like like ***** and be predictable and safe. After surgery I found my milestones took on a different, un-conventional and surprising form.
Before I knew I had an AVM I trained horses, barrel-raced and did 8 hour endurance rides. After surgery now I sometimes struggle to have the endurance to get through the day. Before surgery I was in an abusive marriage for 16 years and before surgery "he" left because he evidently had his fingers crossed during that "in sickness and in health" vow. On the positive side I'd been carrying around 180 pounds of dead weight for years and when he left it was the easiest weight I've ever lost. God works in mysterious ways : o )
Dang we need to move this discussion to the humor group...lol. Funny everyone.
Here's my 2 cents... Life changing yes, grasp on mortality? I'm still working on that but I'll get it before I die.
I'm dizzy all the time so on the rare occasion I drink (usually just one...seems to do the trick) I always say "I'm already dizzy anyway".
Likeable and popular? Me too...it's a crap shoot now (can I say that?).
Angry b*****? lol this is my favorite, I tell everyone that cares to listen... Because I'm a b****, that's why. Seems to work just fine.
Stupid? Well no one likes being called names. So I say it quietly so they can't hear me...lol. Nicole's right, this is fun. :) Thanks for starting this flower!
Hey Kristi! Sure is. Go to http://www.avmsurvivors.org/group/l. There are currently 34 members in it and it is hilarious. Everyone needs a good laugh now and then. Hope you're feeling well. :)
Kristi, No soup... er pickle for you! (ok, I admit...I watched the soup Nazi on Sienfeld. Who hasn't?) Smoking is bad for you anyway... but I'm sure you've heard that... Again, hope you're feeling well. :)
Sounds a bit like you're scared Jim... I thought nothing scared you? Not quite wired right??? Did you really say that??? Now you really need to run but don't try to hide... we'll find you... C'mon guys say something here. :)
(Relax Jim... I'm just kidding...you're still a gem in my eye)
Before my brain surgery I told my wife that I did not want to be a burden to anyone. I just wished a quick " go or no go"
After Surgery ,still groggy from the meds in ICU, the Neuro-surgeon was at my bed side, unconciously I asked if my private parts were still there.....haaaaaa..... Not sure if I got sedated again after that, but I lost conciousness again.
Hello Suzy?? Long time no hear... I hope things are fine. OK on my end. The funny thing I was very talkative after my surgery. I was cheerful with the nurses as well.Partly because they were all gorgeous (travelling nurses) and that I was trying to cover my misery. I figured laughter was the best medicine.....
Hey Allan! Yup, what was it September? My memory is awful...lol. Things are fine over here...well you know ;) Gorgeous nurses... it all makes sense. Glad to hear from you! Hang in there my friend.