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Days 10 & 11: Encouragements and Falling Objects

The last two days I've been very tired but feeling pretty good most of the day. It's worse at night and I go to bed and wake up with a headache, and I wake super early (not normal for me!) and have crazy dreams. Pretty sure that's from the steroids I'm taking for the inflammation.
We had a big gallery exhibition at work tonight...lots of conversations with a tongue that won't work right...lots of explaining again and again what's wrong with my face, and I am exhausted!
It's awkward, because the word for nerve is the same root as the verb they use for "to get upset, angry, agitated, and nervous"! So when I explain what happened to my facial nerve, everyone asks, "did you get upset or angry and that caused it?" I know they're obviously related but in English we don't connect them quite so directly, and when we do, it's more tongue-in-cheek: "you're getting on my nerves".
I'm learning new vocabulary though... "muscles" wasn't one I had remembered, but now I've got it memorized, I've said it so many times!
I've had some awkward interactions with people who know me in the community...at first they don't say anything, but I know they notice, and whereas usually I would give them a big smile and greet them, I wasn't because it just comes off as a grimace, but then I seem sullen and rude! They feel awkward asking and I feel awkward announcing "Let it be known! This is what's wrong with my face!" before every interaction. But then in subsequent meetings, they or I have broken the ice, even a slight motion to my face will do it, and there's a palpable sense of relief, and they can ask, and I can explain! So fascinating! And then word gets back to me that they're asking after me and hoping I'm feeling better. Lots of encouragements from my people in the community too! "May God heal you! Don't be upset! It will pass! It could happen to anyone, good people too! My uncle was paralyzed, but it was his whole side, not just his face. Keep taking your medicine! You've got to REST! How are you feeling today? A little better? Little by little! Be patient! I see improvement! May God help you! May God protect you!"
I feel so blessed to be loved and cared for by my community!

Finally... on top of it all, today I opened a cupboard at work, and knocked a big metal tripod off the top of it onto my head, the right side no less, and got a big gash and bruise and headache!
And I was doing so well with no headache this morning! Needless to say, the tripods do not live on top of the cupbord anymore!
For a moment I thought that maybe the blow would jolt my nerves awake and I'd be suddenly healed, but no such luck!

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