Psychotherapy

Last Monday we were very busy. It started with an hour of psychotherapy. We, the therapist and I, have changed the program from a free format discussion of paintings to an equally serious discussion about “death”. Not that I’m giving up (on the contrary) but to prepare myself for the inevitable. The next two days I could take a rest and Thursday and Friday were stuffed with therapies again. Friday and Saturday we also went shopping to a local supermarket. We went on foot. Superb!  

My family came to see me today and we had a quite open discussion about my condition while Monling served tea with moon-cakes (or coffee to the two male visitors) to our guests. We discussed my dilemma (double surgery or wait and see) and all agreed that, if it is possible, I should go for wait and see. Well we’ll see about that. In a moment we’ll have dinner (Sunday). Enjoy!

Boneflap surgery or not?

As promised a summary of the past week that started (on Tuesday) with a visit to my Neurosurgeon. After we told him about my somewhat good condition, he decided to give the closing of my  head wound another go. He prescribed 21 days of antibiotics. We have to return on the 22nd of September.

The alternative in at least two new surgeries: one to permanently remove the infected boneflap (resulting in a dimple the size of a baseball) and one a month afterwards to close the dimple with a replacement (artificial) boneflap. We hope the infection has healed in the course of the 21 days as we’re not at all looking forward to any other surgeries.

Wednesday I needed a break (there was also no therapy) and a break is what I got. On the remaining working days I got back to the regular routine. Thursday I spend most of the day on the usual morning protocol (getting up, washing, dressing and eating the wholesome food) and my almost daily visit to the RCA. 

Friday started at the RCA with a one-hour ”Communication Therapy” (word finding in a group) . My mother asked me the other day if we laugh at all during therapy. I can confirm that we do (despite that from time to time it seems we’re on an emotional roller coaster). Especially the eagerness of the patients seems to match the persistence of the therapists. For the rest of the day I slept.

The interested reader will remember that I, before my surgery, bought an HP TFT screen. It doubled as a TV and PC monitor. That required my beloved wife to move the screen between my office and my temporary bedroom. My wife didn’t mind about that but I decided to buy a new TFT PC monitor.