Today, I am still striving for a goal.  Although it is a little different from when I started this blog.  I thought it would be great to have a journal of my progress from the beginning of the year to Ironman Wisconsin in Sept. But, a few days after creating this I went to get a flu shot and that changed my goals.

It was a few moments after the shot.  I had put my shirt and jacket back on and was signing the last electronic signature needed when I passed out.  I fell to the ground and the next thing I see are firemen lifting me up on to a stretcher.  I knew where I was, what I had been doing, and what had happened but now I had a severe headache, ringing and buzzing in my right ear, and blood flowing from my ear.  After a CT scan and time in the hospital, I was told that I had fractured my skull, ruptured my ear drum, and had a concussion.  

The next week (1/22 - 1/29) I spent in the dark.  I had my eyes shut as much as possible to attempt to relieve the headache and pressure.  It felt like there were spears in my head from temples to above the opposite eyes and my eyes felt like they were being forced out of my head! Any light and sound was too much at first but this slowly improved with each day.  Without realizing it, the buzzing slowing faded in my ear and by the end of the week there was only ringing.  I knew I was improving during the second week because I was feeling bored and wanted to get out of the dark.  The first few days of week two, 1/29-1/31, I was still in the dark but was able to listen to a book on my iphone without too much trouble.  There were still a few times when the narrators voice would sound like a barking dog in my right ear but it was better than sitting in silence.  By the end of the week, I was feeling a lot closer to normal than the zombie I had been the days after I fell.

Now, today is 2/7, 16 days after my fall, I feel pretty much like normal.  My ear is still ringing, but it's more of a high pitch background ring like the old florescent light that can drive you mad if you focus on it too much.  My headache is better and am able to keep it controlled with a couple Tylenol a few times a day. My light and sound sensitivity is nearly gone and only is a problem if I'm tired or haven't had Tylenol for a while.

Monday, 2/4, I saw the ear, nose, and throat doctor and an audiologist.  The first visit 10 days prior was not good.  They couldn't say for sure what damage was done or if anything was permanent.  I was given a Rx for steroids to help get rid of some fluid in my inner ear.  This second visit was a great improvement!  The doctor said that everything was healing up and should go back to normal and all my hearing tests showed no sign of permanent damage.  I was even cleared, by him, to swim, bike, and run!  Now I just need the same approval from the neurologist and for my head to be clear.

My biggest problems now are the spacey feeling I have all the time in my head and my lack of smell or taste. The spaciness has been an obvious problem since the fall.  I just can't concentrate on anything very well.  I have spent a few hours at work this week and find that I can't quite get anything done.  Nothing makes sense.  It is amazing to me that I've been able to write so much now.  There's no way I could have focused this long a week ago.

I didn't realize I couldn't smell or taste anything for a while after the fall.  I wasn't hungry for anything and figured it was just because of the headache.  Now it's almost funny because everything tastes the same.  I know when things are cold, hot, and salty but past that everything tastes the same.  I've tried Thai, Indian, and today I had a burrito from Chipotle.  Hot food just makes my nose run.  I'm going to continue to try other foods to see if anything tastes.  It could be a number of things including sinus congestion or nerve damage.  Anosmia is the medical term and it is common in brain injuries.  I'm going to ask again next time I see a doctor.

This blogging thing is new to me but I will try to keep it up.  Not sure who will read it.  I would like to have record of this recovery and also my training for the Ironman.  More to come on that for sure!