A Short break
The
remainder of this and some of the last chapter may be a bit sketchy and
confused for a tumor was discovered pressing against my brain stem. While I obviously survived the operation,
the various complications that occurred during and after the surgery left me
with many memory gaps and physical issues.
The hospital stay was almost two months and after 7 more months at home,
I returned to work, but only part time.
I struggled to perform the work that was once easy and it took me a year
and a half to work a full day. My hands
shook when pouring liquids, I had issues seeing properly (for I now had severe
diplopia) with poor balance and no depth perception. I was exhausted constantly, but found the best time for me was
early in the morning and so my boss let me come in very early. This caused some distress to my co-worker,
but that did not matter. I came in
early and left early. I broke
instruments, glassware and myself trying to come back and after an additional
three years of constant struggle, I retired.
Closing Down
The operation and recovery had messed with my
memory, my eyesight, and my balance. An
additional procedure messed with my cognitive function for about a month, but
that not only recovered, but became stronger.
The issues with memory, eyesight and balance did not recover. New ways of thinking and ways to approach
problems were born. While new things
opened up, something else died, for I knew I would need to leave this job soon,
but there was one more challenge for me to face in the lab.
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