when i was released from the hospital, I had many problems released to my neurosurgery. i knew that i would have to live with hearing and balance problems because i no longer had a right auditory-vestibular nerve. my other problems concerned me more. the right side of my face sagged, and making facial expressions was difficult. my right eye was often painful- likely because of inadequate tearing. i had difficulty talking, and i experienced debilitating attacks of fatigue. Unfortunately, neither my neurosurgeon nor GP seemed to know how to deal with these problems, and I was pretty much left to left to fend for my self.
I use information that I had learned from writing this chapter. little about recovery from brain damage had been proven, but the results of experiments on animal models were suggestive. I like to think that the program I devised contributed to my current good health, but, of course, there is no way of knowing for sure.
I based my program of recovery on evidence that cognitive and physical exercise promotes recovery and other forms of neuroplasticity. My job constituted the cognitive part of my recovery program. Because I was influenced by recent evidence that the beneficial effects of exercise are greatest soon after the brain trauma, I returned to work 2 weeks after leaving the hospital.
Once back at work I got more mental, oral, and facial exercise than I had anticipated. A few conversations were enough to make my throat and face ache and to totally exhaust me. At which point I would retreat to my office until I was fit to emerge once again for more “treatment”
Being a university professor is not physically demanding – perhaps you’ve noticed. I needed some physical exercise, but my balance problems limited my options. I turned to African hand drumming. I love the rhythms, and I found that learning and playing them could be a serious cognitive and physical challenge – particularly for somebody as enthusiastic and inept as i. so I began to practice, take lessons, and drum with my new friends at every opportunity. Gradually, I worked, talked, smiled, and drummed myself to recovery. Today, my face is reasonably symmetrical, my speech is good, I am fit, and my balance has improved.