Brain tumor year anniversary

My one year anniversary for my brain surgery to remove my brain tumor was on September 15th.

I am doing a lot better than I was a year ago.  I am still having a few side effects of the surgery though.  The left side of my face is still numb.  Yet it is hurts all day everyday.  It feels like you do when you go to the dentist and get numbing shots in your mouth.  At times it feels like when your hand falls a sleep.  It mostly feels like I have a really tight pulling mask on the left side  my face.  If a bug lands on face I don't really feel, but my face all of a sudden freaks out.  It starts tingling.  Even typing about my face right now it is starting to tingle like crazy.  

My left eye still has problems too.  I do not get tears in that I when I cry.  However when I exercise my eye will get tears in it.  However when I exercise my nose on the left side will just run and run and run.  I can't feel it running because I can't really feel that side of my face.  So I know my nose is runny as soon as it hits my mouth and I can taste it.  My vision in my left eye can go from bad to good to bad to good all day long. Thank goodness my right eye has perfect vision.

The good news is that my left eye can move.  Right after my surgery my left eye could not move to the outside   It could move to the inside .  Now my eye moves in both directions.  My eye lid is still a little droopy but it is a lot better than it was a year ago.  

I do have a indent in my face on the left side.  Most people seem to not notice however I noticed it all the time in all the pictures of me.  My left side of my face looks Skinner than the right side of my face.  

My hair has grown.  I am no longer bald. 

This is what I looked like a year ago.  This is the first picture I took of myself. I have taken quite a few of myself over the last year.

This is just a fun picture I took of myself.  I look pretty cool, don't I.  

This is another picture I took.  In this picture you can see my staples.  I had about 35 in my head.  Which by the way because the left side of my face is numb it never hurt having 35 staples in my head.

                                       This picture was taken about a month after my surgery.

This is about 2 months after my surgery.

This picture is about 3 months after surgery.

                                                   This is about 4 months after surgery

This picture is about 5 months after surgery.

This is about 6 months after surgery.  My left eye is starting to look better.  It isn't drooping as much.

I think this is where I like my hair the best.  If I wasn't trying to grow it out to see if I will look good in long hair this is how short I would want my hair to be. 

This is about 7 months.  My eye is starting to look a lot better. My hair is starting to get long.  Ha ha that is long from being bald.

                                              This picture was taken about 8 months.

This picture was taken about 9 months after surgery.

This picture was taken at about 10 months.

This picture was taken at about 11 months after surgery.  I was finally able to pull my hair back in to piggy tails.

This picture was taken about a week after my one year anniversary date.  I can now pull my hair back in one pony tail.  My hair is still in this I really hate it phase, but hopefully soon I will really like having longer hair.  

So overall I am doing great.  I have had a lot of up an downs.  I am able to do everything I want again.  I can play basketball.  I can have a baby if I want too.  Which I do.  In fact I was pregnant but I miscarried about 6 weeks ago.  I was only about 5 weeks pregnant.  I can do anything I want. I am excited that even though I look a little off now and my face hurts still.  At least I am still alive and I can do anything I want.  What I a want to do is be a good mother and wife.  And play basketball and one day become a professional photographer.