ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Facial Issues => Topic started by: ANNeline on June 19, 2019, 05:28:33 am

Title: Facial palsy - sensations
Post by: ANNeline on June 19, 2019, 05:28:33 am
Hi everyone. I am 5 weeks postop and have facial paresis on the left side. I keep getting these hot flushes in my face on the left side and was wondering if anyone else experienced that? What area of your face improved first?
Title: Re: Facial palsy - sensations
Post by: chrisabbott on June 19, 2019, 03:57:46 pm
Hi - I'm barely a week post op and had numbness prior to surgery.  Today, I'm getting throbs in my jaw/AN side teeth, tingly-tongue, and needle-zap sensations in my AN eye.  My eye isn't itchy and no visual disturbance, but this afternoon I actually felt a cool sensation when I put in drops.  I haven't felt a thing in that eye for a few months so I see this as a positive, if somewhat uncomfortable sign.

I think I'm benefitting from not having damage for an awful long time, and my surgeons being very careful not to touch my facial nerve - just hope this is signs of pressure coming off the nerve(s) and that it doesn't grow back! 

It seems like no one tells you what you might expect - just wait and give it time?  But what is "it" we wait for?  I hope you are getting signals that your nerves are getting ready to get back to work for your face.
Title: Re: Facial palsy - sensations
Post by: samanthalambert on June 20, 2019, 11:28:00 am
Yes, I had that feeling of hot sensations. Then I got some muscles that would get "stuck" - hard to describe but when I would try to make a fishy face with my lips then I would get a smile on the AN side that would "stick" for a minute or so. I had a lot of facial massages in the first 3 months. I am happy to report that I was able to make a small, but dynamic smile at exactly 5 months post op. It is SO hard to be patient, but the best thing to do is not dwell on it. I was obsessing and looking in the mirror like 100 times a day, and then around 3 months post op I decided that I had to get back to living and just let myself heal. You can also do gentle massage from the inside of your mouth -- see this link https://www.facialpalsy.org.uk/support/self-help-videos/
Hang in there!