I couldn't resist - just one more little px of Rosita - and this is my last week with her! It's been fun and I'm SO grateful for all the rides friends and family have given me but I get to start driving a week from tomorrow and can't wait.
Well, I had my first followup visit with the neurosurgeon a few weeks ago and learned that the bump I still have is spinal fluid. We're not sure whether it's from an active leak or just residual from after the surgery so we'll just watch and wait for the next few months. I did learn that the brain produces spinal fluid and the membrane holds it in. The brain floats in that fluid and if something causes a drop in the fluid level the brain can settle on the temporal bones and cause ginormous headaches - that's why they keep people flat for awhile after a lumbar puncture. Because my bone tumor was right up against the brain on the back side of the orbit it created a large hole in the membrane, and with the removal of so much of the bone there was nothing to attach the titanium mesh to - at least that's my limited understanding of it. It wasn't happy news at first because we thought it was going to require another craniotomy to repair it - but we learned there's a good chance (over 50%) that it won't require that and of course, it's what we're really hoping and praying for. The plan is to wait until late Nov for an MRI, see the surgeon again in early Dec and go from there. For those of you who have prayed me through this I really ask for your prayers about this as well - I can hardly stand the thought of another brain surgery right now.
We saw more trees changing color this week and it's almost time to pick apples again, we have quite the bumper crop so there will be an applesauce-making day coming up soon. That cooking-apple fragrance, plus that of the fresh roasted chili peppers is the song of autumn to our noses! And I do love these beautiful fall days, it just doesn't get any better, I don't think - am hoping we hang onto this weather for a couple more months. Am not anxious at all for the winter months.
Sent with love and best wishes to each of you and especially to our Jewish friends who are celebrating the high holidays (I call them holy days).
Val
