Slow is the key - don't rush it. Your body has to adjust at a pace that is different than your mind wants. Eventually one day it will be over, but remember you've said there is another surgery in your future, so this may be part of who you are for awhile.

I think the hardest part for me was realizing how tough I was on the people around me, and at the time not even realizing it. (I think I should rephrase that and say I was an asshole.) The mood swings were horrible on me and them. I did plenty of apologizing after the fact when I got control again. But I burned some bridges that didn't get rebuilt. Much of it I didn't even remember saying, or at least I remember it differently than they did.

Two of the docs on OCF's science advisory board, who are now good friends, and who were part of saving my life, I yelled at and treated like crap.... I'm surprised that they came around to helping me with the foundation. But I guess forgiveness is part of caring, and they did.

I did not do well with frustration, and patience is a virtue that I did not posses. Couple that with the fact that I was a shadow of the man I was before - after treatment, and my ego was significantly impacted by the new me. This disease has been a teacher. It has taken years, but I have certainly evolved as a result of all this. I think mostly for the positive, but I still struggle with frustration and patience.