ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: Tamara on October 27, 2008, 07:32:45 am

Title: Almost back to normal!
Post by: Tamara on October 27, 2008, 07:32:45 am: Hi all,
I had my translab on June 12. Here it is, about 4 1/2 months later, and I thought I'd post a progress report. I had facial palsy after surgery, with troublesome dry eye issues. As of the past two weeks, the eye problems seem to have resolved. I don't need a bottle of eye drops in my pocket at all times, and have stopped the nighttime gel. I put away all the eye products that were on my nightstand ;D I've only used a drop or so in the past week, and only due to some windy days.
Got most of my smile back, including teeth. It's still a smaller smile, but not bad. Can also sneer if I want ::) Still have some issues eating sandwiches, but drinking is OK most of the time. Dry mouth seems to have gotten worse, but that's nothing compared to the eye.
All in all, can't complain! I just wanted newbies to see a post with good news!

Tammy
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: maggiemay on October 27, 2008, 08:36:43 am: Congratulations! It sounds like you're doing great.

Thanks for sharing your good news. We all need to read the success stories.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: texsooner on October 27, 2008, 09:27:41 am: Tammy, great to hear about your improvements...thanks for sharing. I'm glad to hear from someone like you on the eye improvement. I'm about 2 1/2 months from surgery and I carry a bottle of eye drops with me everywhere I go. I put in eye drops on average every 30 minutes. Just curious, was your eye problems due to the eye not closing or blinking enough or was it from lack of tear production...or both?

Patrick
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: Jim Scott on October 27, 2008, 09:57:08 am: Tammy:

Congratulations! I'm so pleased to learn of your healing progress and I appreciate your thinking of 'newbies' that can be encouraged by your post. Thank you! :)

Jim
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: Kaybo on October 27, 2008, 10:48:50 am: Tammy~
That is all SSSSSSSOOOOOOO great!! Just a thought...you might want to try doing the Refresh PM (or whatever you use) at night & then you might not need anything in the day. My mom doesn't have the eye problems like us, but has some dry eye and she does this at night only to help. Just a suggestion...take it for what it is worth!! ;D
Thanks for updating us - we LOVE to celebate with you!!

K
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: MAlegant on October 27, 2008, 11:12:09 am: Hi Tammy,
Thanks for sharing--you sound like you are doing really well. It's a good reminder for some of us that are still waiting for issues to resolve that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep it up!
Marci
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: cindyj on October 27, 2008, 12:31:11 pm: Hey Tammy!

Thanks for the post - while I'm not so much a newbie anymore, the timing of your "positive" update is perfect for me and several others heading in to surgery in the next week or so.

More importantly, I'm so glad you are doing so well and continuing to make progress!

Cindy...j
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: Tamara on October 27, 2008, 02:10:06 pm: Quote from: texsooner on October 27, 2008, 09:27:41 am
I'm about 2 1/2 months from surgery and I carry a bottle of eye drops with me everywhere I go. I put in eye drops on average every 30 minutes. Just curious, was your eye problems due to the eye not closing or blinking enough or was it from lack of tear production...or both?

Patrick - yes, I was the same 2 months ago. I had about 4 bottles at any one time, since I was always misplacing them. At first my eye did not close properly. I got a Blinkeze eyeweight that I used daily for about 2 weeks and then at night for a week after that. My blink had returned but I still had no tear productions. A few weeks ago I noticed I was using less eyedrops. I used the PM eye gel until 3 nights ago when I realized that my eye didn't hurt when I woke up anymore. So I think the eye is finally back. It is SUCH a gradual process that you don't really notice at the time - only realized when I thought back on it.

Best wishes to you Patrick and thanks to everyone else for your posts! :-*
Tammy
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: wendysig on October 27, 2008, 05:42:16 pm: Tammy -
Wow -- great news. At 4 1/2 months and with all the issues you had you sound llike you're doing great! You've come a long way in a relatively short time (I know it must not have seemed short to you) and it sounds like you're really, finally on the road to a full recovery!! Contgratulations! ;D

Best wishes,
Wendy
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: leapyrtwins on October 27, 2008, 06:44:34 pm: Tammy -

thanks for the update. It sounds like you've come a long way since your surgery. It also sounds like you are doing really, really well ;D

Jan
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: Dog Lover on October 27, 2008, 07:03:58 pm: Hooray!!!! Congrats!!!! ;D
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: Tamara on October 28, 2008, 05:47:09 am: Cheri,
I was taken off the steroids rather abruptly about a week post op because I'd developed a CSF leak through the incision ("almost unheard-of", according to my dr). I love being rare. ::)
My palsy, including eye issues, developed the night of my surgery. The eye issues came on immediately, and didn't come and go. Yours sound much milder than mine, so I'm hoping your journey is a little easier.

Tammy
Title: Re: Almost back to normal!
Post by: Debbi on October 28, 2008, 08:42:49 am: Tammy-

SO glad to hear that you've retired your eye-care products!!! That is such wonderful news and I am envious! Thanks so much for sharing the good news - I know that all the folks here who are awaiting surgery will appreciate hearing yet another good outcome.

I'd wink at you if I could! :D

Debbi, still traveling with drops and gel...