I’m finally home! They let me out of the hospital after 16 days.
This surgery was a huge success, even if there were complications. I feel so blessed. I have an excellent team of surgeons operating on me.
There are several truly amazing things about this whole experience that definitely show me that God was at work here. Right now the one I’m thinking about is the surgeons saving my face.
I had a 5cm tumor. That is extremely large for an acoustic neuroma. It was life-threatening. It was causing me to choke on food and drinks, have no balance, falling all of the time, and making me space out. The spacey spells I was having were very scary. It would feel like I had been injected with the strongest drug out there, and I would feel like I was about to pass out. I couldn’t think, talk, focus, anything.
Now, the spacey spells are gone. I can walk using a walker, I can stand in place and sit on the side of the bed without swaying like a drunk, and I don’t lose focus anymore. I do have headaches off and on, but that is from the surgery. They aren’t near as bad as they were.
So I am home and recovering nicely. I still have a trech and a feeding tube. I am going to have my PCP get an appointment to take the trach out, I think an ENT has to do it, and order a swallow study to see if things are still going to my lungs. I think everything is fine. I know the trach can be taken out. Everyone there is safe now.
We flew home Saturday. Little Rock was very cold and the streets were slick with snow and ice. Since it was late in the evening, we had to get a hotel room for the night and try to drive home the next morning.
The long drive was even longer. My Dad had to drive very slow because the roads were so bad. I’m just glad we finally made it home safely.
We got home Sunday afternoon and as soon as we pulled into the driveway my aunt, who was watching Isaiah for me, opened my door and put him on my lap.
I gave Isaiah the world’s hugest hug. I missed him so much. My family missed him too, but at least they could call and talk to him on the phone. I had no contact at all and I would get so sad and lay in my hospital bed and cry because I just wanted to hold my baby. He signed, “I love you Momma.” Oh what precious words.
Hearing is completely gone now. It’s scary not knowing who or what is around me, if anything. At home it’s not so bad, but in the airport I nearly had a few anxiety attacks. I didn’t know if danger was around, afraid someone would try to attack or abduct me. Yes I know, I’m crazy but I am a chicken when it comes to crime. If it can happen to other people, it could happen to me as well.
It’s also very lonely and boring not being able to hear a thing when you are totally blind. There’s nothing to do to occupy your time. The only thing you have is touch. In L.A. I had two options. Talk to my parents or Edward, which can’t be done every second of the day, or read a book. I had my PAC Mate (braille note taker) and I have a digital book on it. I read it with the refreshable braille display on the note taker. Doing those two things, and praying a whole bunch, I got through those rough days in the hospital.
I want to thank everybody for their prayers, good vibes, encouragement, and support. It really helped and I could not have gotten through this without all of it. Thank you so much. I know God is watching over me. He was in the surgery and he still is here at home. Everything will be fine now, and the ABI will be a huge success because God isn’t finished with me. There is a reason I received that huge donation and was able to get the device. He wouldn’t have made that happen if it wasn’t going to work well for me. It is a miracle, and I really do feel so blessed.
by Carin, on 02.02.10 @ 11:53 pm
Awesome! So when does it get turned on? I’m so excited I could bounce!
by Scharlett Griffin, on 02.03.10 @ 12:24 am
YEAH! Holly! I am sooo thankful! Good things happen! Love from Scharlett
by Karen Harness, on 02.03.10 @ 12:32 am
So glad to hear from you. Happy that things are going so well. I’ve been praying for you and know God has great things planned for you.
Blessings!
Karen and Alonzo who will be 11 months on Feb. 3rd.
by hollyalonzo, on 02.03.10 @ 12:37 am
Great things happen, if only people have a little faith. *smiles* I go back to L.A. on the 25 to have the ABI turned on, tuned up, and follow up with Dr. Friedman. I CAN’T WAIT!!!
by Jamie, on 02.03.10 @ 12:37 am
Way to shine, Holly! I love the story from your perspective, and how much relief surgery provided. Have fun with Isaiah! I am sure you guys will invent new games. Love and hugs
by Yvonne Foong, on 02.03.10 @ 12:55 am
Hello Holly! Happy and excited to know that you finally had the surgery that you needed! Please fill me in on how did you get the huge donation for the ABI? They are turning your ABI so quickly. It’s probably because you are also blind so they want you to hear as soon as you can. I love and miss the people ain HEI and St. Vincent Medical Center already!
by Yvonne Foong, on 02.03.10 @ 12:59 am
Hey there were typing errors so let me post again.
Hello Holly! Happy and excited to know that you finally had the surgery you needed! Please fill me in on how did you get the huge donation for the ABI. They are turning on your ABI so quickly. It’s probably because you are also blind so they want you to hear as soon as you can. I love and miss the people at HEI and St. Vincent Medical Center already!
Actually, I left on the 23rd December 2009. If I knew you were coming, I would have extended my stay!
by Joanne, on 02.03.10 @ 2:45 am
I’m so glad to hear you had a safe flight home and everything is going so well. If you don’t mind my asking, how does the process work for turning on the ABI?
by Sarah Gorden, on 02.03.10 @ 3:08 am
I’ve told you already but I’ll say it again. You’re a huge inspiration Holly! Your faith shines through and your positive outlook will take you a long ways. I’m so glad things fell into place for you and that God gave you the strength to get through everything. I bet it was amazing to come home and hold little Isaiah! Just remember to take it easy and let your body recover. Huge hugs.
by Roger Shrum, on 02.03.10 @ 2:28 pm
Holly I am so happy for you! You have the right attitude and God. Keep them both with you at all times. I could see myself meeting my babies 30 years ago when I came back from surgery in Los Angeles. Had not seen them in several weeks…I know how you felt. Isaiah loves you regardless of the situation just as my kids loved me and he always will. Yes, miracles still happen…maybe not like we think they will but God’s way, which is best. He will guide you Holly, trust Him. All the best……….Roger
by hollyalonzo, on 02.04.10 @ 2:32 pm
Thank everybody! I feel so loved.
Joanne, I am not exactly sure what the process for activation is. May Sarah, Yvonne, or Jamie could give some imput since they already have ABI’s. I think the audiologist hooks your implant up to his computer and do the hearing test type beeps to see what tones you can hear at the quietest and loudest levels. But, I am not real sure how the mapping and activation work.
Yvonne, the big donation just came to me. I met a woman on an e-mail list about a year or so ago. She and her husband saw how much trouble I was having fundraising and how quickly I was going downhill. At first I turned them down because that is a huge sum of money, and I didn’t want them to go into debt because of me. But they said that God had been generous to them and they really wanted to help. I took them up on their offer and I will be grateful for the rest of my life. It all just seemed to fall into place. Like I said, God made it happen.
by Yvonne Foong, on 02.06.10 @ 11:04 am
Hello Holly,
That was nice to hear! I am happy that you met these kind people. Although I feel that you didn’t have to refuse them at first, but I gotta say that I admire your will and desire to fight it out yourself while you could. I often tell people that it’s not easy to accept yourself as being weak and in need of help. It took me some time to be comfortable raising funds too. At the earliest stages, I used tp insist that people take a tee for the money they give. I even went as far as to refuse those who gave cash donations in person outrightly!