My Brain Surgery Journey

I cannot believe it's only been almost a month since surgery, it feels like it was just a couple days ago. I have good days and bad days or maybe it would be more accurate to say I have good hours and bad hours.
You might be curious/ interested to know:

• At the hospital when I was first woke up I am told that I refused to answer any questions or admit to any pain until they let Derek come back to see me. I don't remember this at all but apparently I would only answer their questions with response about how Derek and I met and how much I love him and how great a dad he is... I am stubborn. They brought him back and had him ask me my pain level and let him stay.
• When I first came home I had trouble understanding what common sounds were like sweeping, the kids walking around upstairs, the dishwasher or the car pulling into the driveway. I would constantly ask what's that, is that an ok noise, what are you doing? NOW I recognize those sounds again! Some take me a second to think about but then I figure it out.
• I currently sleep with 8 pillows! I layer them this way and that way until they are made into the perfect little pillow nest of comfort.
• I am very possessive of previously mentioned pillows!!!! So much so that in the hospital I had a dream that a man "came to visit" me at the hospital and tried to convince me to trade my pillows for pop-tarts! hahaha The nurses said that all the meds were probably to blame for such a weird dream but I was adamant ( hey it felt super real and I was extremely loopy) it really happened and requested that no visitors be allowed in my room.

I am currently taking things half days at a time and trying to celebrate all my little accomplishments no matter how small they are. I get frustrated because sometimes I can't do thing I could earlier and some things are just still hard to do at all.

• I hate washing my hair! It is so thick that as soon as it gets wet it feels like cement has been poured on my head and is so heavy. LIKE REALLY HEAVY!
• I cannot bend over. I'm pretty clumsy right now so if I drop something (which I do a lot) it stays there until the kids or Derek can get it.
• I have to sit down to shower. This might not seem like a big deal but I don't like it. It just feels weird.

On a higher note:

• I can go to the bathroom by myself! Seriously people take this for granted!
• So far I can walk, not far or super fast but I can do it. I can kind of dress myself depending on the outfit and my pain level at the time.
• I can eat solid food if it can be smooshed down or cut into small pieces. I sometimes cannot open my mouth very wide. The Dr. say that will get better as my neck muscles and what not grow back.
• I can read now! When I first came home I couldn't hold my head and arms up the right way to read a book. Weird huh?
• My hair is so thick you cannot really see my shaved spot/ incision/scar. I don't really know what to call it at this point.
• I can stand and walk long enough now to get my own drinks. I still have to drink everything from a straw but now I can get it myself.

Derek took lots of pictures to document it. I told him when this is all over I want to be able look back at the good and the bad and be able to remind myself I can do hard things and a bad or tough time doesn't make for a bad or tough life. My sincerest thanks to all who have helped in every way possible, I couldn't do it without you!
(The video has little comments shared on most of the slides. If your not really interested in them but just want to see the photos you can just view it here. If you would like to be able to read them you should probably view it from Youtube or just make it full screen) You should also go easy on me for any typos or what-nots because Hey I did just have brain surgery!