Tuesday, October 30, 2012

It's Been A Awhile...

Hello my friends!

I've not logged on here for a while.  For that I apologize.  My husband was diagnosed with an Acoustic Neuroma.  This is a usually benign tumor that grows on the inner workings of the ear.  Usually men in my husband's age group (early 40's) don't have such things become issues, as they're usually found in older (60's) people.  However, his age necessitated the removal of the tumor.  MRI's and CT Scans showed, what we thought was the tumor, and my husband was feeling the headaches more frequently and losing some of his facial nerves.  Once the doctors used SEVERAL drill bits to get through his cranium (which makes him CERTIFIABLY HARD HEADED!) they found the images they were seeing was the fluid within the tumor, not the tumor itself.  The tumor itself was from the front of the skull, attached to facial nerves, to the back of his skull and attached to his brain stem.

5 days in ICU, and home he went!  Wearing a lovely bandage reminiscent of Princess Lea.  He recovered quickly and easily and has now moved on to watching what very little of the tumor was left on his facial nerves.  We will watch this part for growth over the next few years.  We are also proud to be the new owners of a Baja Ear Prosthetic.  He went in a few weeks ago, and had his cranium "screwed" again, when then screwed in basically, an audio jack that will, after the bone and skin heal around it, be able to amplify sound from his now deaf side to his hearing side, giving him directional hearing.  He is in the healing phase and will receive his new prosthetic just after Christmas, though he's hoping to beg the doctor to let him have it sooner.  He's healing quickly and comfortably and I now feel like I can spend a little more time reading and discussing my books with you!  

I've started communicating with the authors that I've reviewed and will be reviewing and I am hoping to get a few interviews on here with you with some of the authors!  So, if you'd like to submit questions for them, please be sure to send them to me!  (Melisa1168@insightbb.com) is a better way to get to me, then through the gmail account, though I do download that one on my cell.  You ALWAYS reach me on Facebook as well at: Melisa S Jensen Rechenmacher    

Have a great rest of the week, and please know that our hearts and prayers are with those of you who have suffered and are in need due to Hurricane Sandy.  I wish I could help each and every one of you...  but perhaps my prayers will help!  Hugs to you all!