General Category > AN Issues

Thinking a lot about surgery and the facial nerve

(1/3) > >>

catlover:
Hi everyone,
I am still waiting for a date of surgery and my thoughts go round and round in my head. I'm thinking a lot about how it will be to wake up after surgery and unfortunately, I am also thinking about what happens if I don't wake up!!! Right now I'm wondering about facial paralysis. How big are the risks that I'll get facial paralysis with the sigmoid approach? My AN was 1,6 cm in September 2008 so it's almost 6 months since I had my latest MRI. I know that not anyone can say for sure that I'll get facial paralysis or not but I'm feeling great - I have just a little tinnius, no vertigo and no other issues at all.

All the best to all of you  :)

Helene in Sweden

alicia:
I am right there with you!  Completely understand the feelings you share.  Every few days my concerns and thoughts change.  I take a lot of deep breaths and have realized the negative "what ifs" are not going to help.  I am going to try to believe in my doctors and hope they make the right choices in surgery.  I think I am feeling ok that they can save my face, but possibly at the risk of leaving some tumor.  Then I jump to regrowth...radiation...and then...deep breath!  Then I play with my dog and relax! 

I am very grateful for everyone sharing experiences here.  I am glad I have the chance to be prepared. 

How were you diagnosed?

Kathy M:
Hi Helene,

I was so scared about the possibility of facial paralysis before my surgery - I think that was one of my biggest fears.  I felt pretty darn good before surgery too - a few balance issues, slight hearing loss, some tingling - my tumor was much bigger than yours (so more symptoms), but all in all, I was very healthy.  You're right, there are no guarantees - but I'll bet your surgeons are going to do the very best they can to give you the best possible outcomes.  Even with a really big AN (3+ CM), I had no facial weakness at all - not even immediately following surgery - but they did leave a bit behind.

So now it's a different worry - regrowth....but if it wasn't that worry, there would be something else to catch my attention.  I am a worrier by nature!  Stay armed with good information, stay surrounded by positive people, and do what is the very best for yourself always...things will fall into place after that.  By the looks of things, there have been many surgeries around here lately, with terrific outcomes and I'll bet you'll do great, too! 

I hope you get your date soon - that waiting game is awful!  Good luck to you!!!

Kathy

leapyrtwins:
Helene -

docs can quote you all the statistics in the world but unless you become one of them, it doesn't really matter.  There are no guarantees with anything in life, you basically take gambles every day and unfortunately AN surgery - or radiation for that matter - is just another gamble.

Although I've heard lots of statistics that facial paralysis is very common with retrosigmoid - and less so with translab - that doesn't always hold true.  I had retrosigmoid and had very slight facial nerve damage post op.  It was cleared up with one dose of steroids.  Others on the forum have had translab and they have facial nerve damage. 

I guess my point here is no one can tell you exactly what will happen.  They - and you - can speculate all they want, but speculation is not reality.  The best way to cope is to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.  Don't stress about things that may never happen - it's counter productive and quite frankly just a waste of your time.

As for not waking up post op, it is a possibility - but definitely not a probability.  You have a larger chance of getting hit by a car as you walk across the street than you do of dying from AN surgery.  You also have a bigger chance - in the long run - of dying from an untreated AN than you do from AN surgery.

I not trying to say you're foolish to have thoughts like this - we all have or had them - but you need to put things into perspective.  Don't let your fear get the best of you.

You can get through this.  And you will.

Jan

EJTampa:

--- Quote from: catlover on April 14, 2009, 05:14:29 pm ---unfortunately, I am also thinking about what happens if I don't wake up!!!

--- End quote ---

Well, I mentioned the same thing to my wife, about not waking up.  We pretty much came to the conclusion that it wasn't me that was going to have to worry about it if I didn't :).
 
I had restrosigmoid and no immediate weakness, then one night I had it, but it was gone by the end of the next day, never to return.
 
I've always been of the philosophy that a stitch in time saves nine.  I wanted my small tumor out before it had a chance to become something harder to remove.  My tumor was partially sticky, so letting it get bigger would have caused more problems.  I think you are doing the right thing by getting it taken care of now.  Of course, others here may have different opinions, and the option you chose will be the right one for you.
 
Ernie

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page