ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Facial Issues => Topic started by: feline on November 09, 2014, 06:09:57 pm

Title: Facial paralysis will it improve
Post by: feline on November 09, 2014, 06:09:57 pm
I had AN sx on June 30 2014 my face is paralyzed and I have dry eye getting frustrated it has been 5 months I have not seen any improvement why not what can I do?
Title: Re: Facial paralysis will it improve
Post by: Jill Marie on November 10, 2014, 12:01:26 am
Hi, it usually takes 6 months before you begin to notice any facial movement, you're almost there so hang in there!  You can search this site for info on when others started to see an improvement, it won't make things happen quicker but at least you will know what to expect.  I've also read that it's best not to do anything for awhile, just let the healing continue.  Jill
Title: Re: Facial paralysis will it improve
Post by: feline on November 10, 2014, 10:07:22 am
Thank you for the info
Feline-Tina
Title: Re: Facial paralysis will it improve
Post by: mandy721 on November 10, 2014, 10:57:05 am
It can take even longer.  My husband had severe facial paralysis after surgery, with no detectable movement for 9 months.   There is no fixed timetable, and nerves regenerate extremely slowly. My husband's progress has been dramatic. He has worked with Jackie Diels starting about 1 1/2 years out.
He still has some residual facial issues, and his eye doesn't blink.  He has had a number of occuplastic procedures on the eye, including an eyelid weight which enables the eye to blink almost normally when he is upright.  At night he wears a special patch to protect the eye. A few months ago he had a punctal plug place in the lower lid and that seems to help with tear distribution.

Patience and good eye care are both vital to getting through this process. 
Title: Re: Facial paralysis will it improve
Post by: raji83 on November 10, 2014, 12:38:00 pm
i had my surgery on 8th october 2014. After two weeks i got facial weakness and my eye was nt able to blink..my doctors put me on steroids and i saw improvement within one week. Now i can blink my eye. it does not feel dry anymore but still its tearless. bt i got movement in my face. you can check with your doctors.
Title: Re: Facial paralysis will it improve
Post by: anneliesevanston on November 10, 2014, 03:22:59 pm
I had AN removed Jan 21,2014 and my cheek started to move 8 months later. It is a slow process, the eye still doe snot blink or tear but the facial muscles are slowly improving. Doing facial excercises and just recently started accupuncture and electrical stimulation to help it along.
Patience is the key. Hope it goes well for you
Anneliese
Title: Re: Facial paralysis will it improve
Post by: millie on November 15, 2014, 08:29:53 am
It is two years since my acoustic neuroma was removed.  My facial nerve was affected and in my recovery, my left eye did not blink, my face had paresis issues.  At about six months I started with some facial exercises,, because the doctor said, now I had something to work with.
It is a slow slow process, but my face has gotten better.  At rest it looks normal.  I feel every facial expression I make on the left side-it is just a stiff feeling there and my smile does not go up quite as far, and my eye narrows a bit on that left side.   However, at one time, after the surgery, there were no wrinkles because my muscles and nerves on the surgery side were being weird…but guess what?   The wrinkles are coming back, very slowly, so I have to think the nerve is getting better.
Be patient and try to stay heartened.  God bless.  Mil O'B