More reading

I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse? by Suzy Becker. Funny/painful account by writer/cartoonist who developed expressive aphasia and other symptoms after surgery on her left parietal lobe (this is atypical; Broca's area, which controls expressive speech, is in the left FRONTAL lobe in most people).  Two lessons learned:

1. A "minor" neurological deficit may be devastating to the patient. Just because 90 percent of your patients are worse off, doesn't mean this patient isn't struggling, and possibly even contemplating suicide. (And yes, Becker's deficit was minor. But the loss she had was exactly in the skills she needed for her career and social life.)

2. Becker's neurosurgeon told her "A thousand neurosurgeons could not have predicted this result" (that her specific surgery would damage her speech). No, but I bet 800 out of a thousand neurologists performing brain surgery on an awake patient would have KEPT THE PATIENT TALKING DURING THE OPERATION. Note to self: not everyone is put together just like the picture in your anatomy text. Be prepared for that possibility.

Now I have to stop reading and deal with Mt. Laundry.  And get ready to move my mom's furniture. And do taxes. And put together my resume....