ANA Discussion Forum
Archive => Archives => Topic started by: amymeri on September 08, 2006, 04:40:34 pm
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I am back to work full time which requires a lot of public contact and talking which makes me all the more self-conscious about my face. Don't get me wrong...people are great. But I hate that I can't pronounce M or B so people misunderstand me all the time, sometimes I spit when I talk, my face is twisted...I know it is getting better slowly but I am 5 months out next week and somedays it's just pretty hard to take.
I know there are lots of people out there who have experienced similar things and worse so I have plenty of good company. I just needed to get this off my chest!
:-\ :'( >:(
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(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/nathangammons/rocker_sniff_flowers_lc.gif)
HUGS your still beautiful
Nate ;D
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Nate, your graphics are so cool! How do you do it???
And I am not beautiful...I am goofy looking...but thanks for the flowers! :D
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AMY
remember, beautiy comes from within. You ARE beautiful! Sorry you had a bad day with your face. it gets a little tiny bit better each day. try to be patient. If one thing this nasty AN has taught me is to be more patient. But it's just so dang hard sometimes.
Hugs
Patti UT
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I have found it interesting when patients want to ask you what happened and you can just see them trying not to say something. My most inventive was an old guy who ask if I had had problems for very long. If they do ask, giving a brief description can be hard,as it usually leads to more questions. It can be a good educational tool about ANs if the time and situitation is right.
I have sure educated my co workers as in a small hospital setting it isn't a well known subject.
Cheryl R
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It's been 16 years, I've had many repairs done to my face and although it doesn't look like it did before all the repairs it is still "not right". There are days I think I'm really ugly with my "twisted face" and can't believe when I look in the mirror that face is mine...I don't feel like I look. I have an 8x10 of myself in our front hallway, a picture that was taken about 2 1/2 years before diagnoses, to me I look beautiful in it, in a way it makes me happy to remember the way I used to look (the way I'm supposed to look) and in another way it makes me sad.
There will be times when this will be an issue but over time these periods will be less often and last less and then the thoughts will drift into the back of your mind again.
Take care, Kathleen
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amymeri:
One of my surgeons told me I would have good days and really bad days after I had surgery. I thanked him for being so honest with me. At my one year check up I thanked him again......boy, was he right.
I hope tomorrow is a good day for you. Kathy
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Well, I'm three years out now and I still have the same problems. Small but they are still there. I try not too go too fast when having a conversation. IMO when you get tired or get a headache the symptoms are much worse. I also find it really hard to concentrate or focus when a headache turn bad. I rarely try to smile cause I fell like I look like the Joker on one side. It really makes it hard to get through a day or build any confidence or self-esteem. So, don't think you are the only one. I find things could be a lot worse so I try not to let it get me down. This don't even count the hearing disablities and noise factors causing the BIG BUZZ! I find it's diffucult about every day, but that's the cards were are deal and whe have to play them the best we can. It should get better, but nothing like it was before IMO.
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My face looks mostly normal if I'm not showing any emotion. Any time I become expressive you can definately tell there is something wrong. Most of the time people don't say anything. I teach in an elementary school and some of the younger kids see me smiling and I see that quizzical look on their face. Once they get to know me, it's not a problem.
I've only had one adult ask me about my face. She nicely asked me if I had Bell's Palsey because she had a friend with that. I told her it was the result of a brain tumor and we went on with our conversation.
When I get to feeling down about my face I try and remember that it could be worse (someone else on here said that) and that I'm lucky I don't have to look at me all day. :-)
Jean
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uh oh ....
my driver license is about to expire ... which means I'm gonna have to get a new picture taken next month...... I need to practice for this one :(
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Joe - My state (VA) allows you to renew your license online and they use your existing photo... check it out as it might be an option for you if you really don't want the new pic?