The pain is gone! Hallelujah!

So I did go to Stanford and ended up having surgery on October 19 instead of the radiation, primarily because of a much higher success rate. I had a hole bored into the back of my skull, and the nerve ended up being trapped in 2 places, so he fixed them both by placing small pieces of teflon sponge material between the nerve and the artery compressing it. I had 2 days in ICU, then 2 days on the neurosurgery floor, then home. Allen stayed with me the entire time (I really have the measure of this wonderful man now!) and we sent Dean to Uncle Mike & Aunt Sammi's so he could get to school every day. Then my friends banded together and have kept us well fed and spoiled since I got home. I went back to work yesterday and only lasted 4 1/2 hours, and my brain is still swollen, which creates pressure, so I talk and move slowly and am pretty uncoordinated on the left side, but that is expected to be better in about 3 more weeks. And my hair is really short, so the shaved off part can grow back in while the rest of it is growing back too. The best thing is that the original pain seems to be gone, and we are so grateful. I never thought I would be happy to have someone cut into my brain! It's all a bit strange, but I am so thankful that it worked and hopeful to get my old energy back so I can get on with raising a teenager. And thankful to have friends that are my local family. If you are one of them, know that we love you!