Life Goes On

It is so easy to become stuck and trapped in rehabilitation, in recovery, in healing. My world has changed, but everything else keeps moving along. With all the medical appointments, follow-up, and care I receive it is reasonably easy to forget that preventive care still needs to happen.

When dealing with trauma it is important to also keep up with things like immunizations, dental care, and yearly physical exams. Try to keep a calendar for yourself; my yearly exam always falls around my birthday. this works to make it an easy reminder. If your provider has email or text notification of preventive visits, use it. They can keep track and you can live the life that you have.

I got a wisdom tooth pulled today, yup I still had them. They didn't create a problem for me until this past week, which is pretty cool. Before brain surgery I believe I would have been freaking out completely. After brain surgery, there was only a mild freak out with a kind of let down after it was all over. This was way doable. My perception of a traumatic event has completely shifted.

A few shots of Novocain, a clamp and forceps, a quick tug and done. No muss no fuss. Some extra gauze as I was leaving.

After a nap I realized that its not too bad. A few Tylenol and I'm good. A little swollen, a little sore, nothing unmanageable.

So, remember when your life is in crisis- keep up with the simple stuff. Things keep moving. Life keeps going. Its OK to address the immediate need, but keep planning and moving forward. It helps keep you on track.