ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: miller on July 25, 2012, 11:47:18 am
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I had translab on 7/12 at HEI for a 3cm tumor. Everything went well, and I feel extremely blessed. I have full facial function, I am walking fine and overall doing better that I had expected! I do, however, have a couple of things going on that I had not really heard of on the forum, and I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing similar things. I am having problems with my voice. My surgery took about 12 hours, and they thought that the voice thing was a result of the length of time the tube was in my throat. It kind of comes and goes, and feels like I am straining to talk. Has anyone undergone speech therapy? I was told I should address this quickly so that I would not develop bad speech habits trying to protect my voice. Also, I don't really have my sense of taste back. Food just kind of feels like dough balls in my mouth! I do have the usual full head, with hearing reverberation in deaf ear while I am talking. Just wondering if others have had the same things?
Cheryl
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Hi, Cheryl ~
Congratulations on your successful AN surgery and recovery!
The issues with your voice are not unknown after lengthy AN surgery and usually are caused by some aspect of intubation. This should subside but I haven't had any experience with this specific issue so I'll leave to those who have, to comment. Loss of the sense of taste is usually tied to the disturbing of the trigeminal nerves close to the 8th cranial nerve where ANs originate. The loss of the taste sense usually abates in time. Ironically, I lost my sense of taste prior to my AN surgery because the tumor was impacting the trigeminal nerves but within hours of my surgery, my sense of taste returned. No comment on the full head/reverb issue because I didn't experience that particular problem, post-op.
I'm sure others with more experience dealing with those issues will be posting here soon.
Jim
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I had significant voice problems from misplacement of the breathing tube and from vagus nerve complications - vagus is the 10th cranial nerve. I have improved, but am not yet normal. I could not speak much at all, or swallow on the right side for many months. Nerve healing takes 12 to 18 months from surgery. Large tumors like mine can involve the lower cranial nerves - my tumor had to be dissected from nerves # 9, 10, and 11. If your lower nerves, # 9 and 10, were not involved, then most likely your voice problem is from intubation which usually clears up on its own. If throat nerves were involved, it will take much longer to resolve.
I never had speech therapy as my surgeon believed I would eventually recover my nerve function over time, and an independent ENT advised me the same. I have slowly recovered my abilities to speak and swallow in a significant way and have 9 more months to recover before I reach the 18 month point. Right now I am improved enough to believe that I will recover throat function completely. I wasn't so sure 5 or 6 months ago when things were worse than today.
I lost taste before surgery and it is still not present. I cracked a tooth and had novocaine at the dentist on Monday. He asked several minutes after administering it, it I was numb yet. I told him my tongue is always numb as well as my lip and chin on the right side from the AN surgery. I never felt any of the novocaine effects nor did I experience any of the pins and needles as it wore off. My teeth feel pain, but not my gums or tongue or inside of my cheek. Hope this helps some and good luck
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Hi Cheryl,
Congrats for being on the other side of surgery. It is great to hear your update and thank goodness for others who seem to relate to questions about aftereffects of treatment.
karen
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Thank you for the information. I did have trouble swallowing at first. I had to put thickener in everything. That resolved on its own. Hopefully the vocal thing will too. Since I am only two weeks out I am just going to give it more time before I look to speech therapy.
Cheryl
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Karen,
It is great being on this side!! :) I know your surgery is only a couple of days away. I am sure you are going to do great!!! You will definitely be in my prayers.
Cheryl
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Thanks Cheryl! And you are in mine.
Karen
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Tod is someone who comes to mind as a Forumite who had issues like this.
Perhaps reading some of his posts, or sending him a PM, would be helpful.
Good luck,
Jan
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Hi Cheryl,
I went into a full panic because my taste buds went dull. I'm an Italian American, food is important in our lives, so when that wonderful dish came to the table and it tasted like nothing, I was really upset. My taste buds made a come back, but it took a few months. My throat was a mess from the tube, and even though I am not a doctor, I am a betting man, so I'll bet your throat is related to the tube, however, check in with your docs to make sure.
For your surgery, congrats and keeping fighting to make each day a better one.
God Bless.
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Thank you. My taste does seem to be coming back, but slowly. The voice on the other hand is all over the place!