ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Facial Issues => Topic started by: marg on December 05, 2007, 10:33:29 pm
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Just wondering, I am about 7 months out post surgery with some facial paralysis and although I can see some improvement - there is no fexibility on the AN side. I thought it was a bit tight but when I had my teeth cleaned last week..... the hygenist had some difficulty and I was very sensitive (espeically my lip on that side) it was so tight. Is this a 'normal' thing to happen as (hopefully) facial paralysis gets better?
Also, again today ( this happens often) someone asked my if I was getting therapy for the facial paralysis to help it improve faster...... I thought the faicial nerve is supposed to get better on its own. Any comments on that?
Thanks for the info.
Margaret
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Hi Margaret: Tightness in the face never happened to me so it must be a good sign. People usually begin facial therapy on the face when movement starts - for improvement & to prevent synkenisis. I never went for it because I never regained any movement.
You may want to check out a facial therapist for an initial consultation - can't hurt.
So glad to hear you are seeing improvement!!!! Nancy
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Hi Margaret.
I've noticed some tightness too, but only since I've started to get some movement back. It feels like the muscles are finally starting to do something, and after so many months of having no muscle tone at all, it seems like I feel it more than usual.
I've been going to PT for the facial issues and I think it's helping. It's a good idea to go just as you're getting some movement so you can try to prevent the synkinesis before it starts. It's hard to correct after the fact. When I first started going, I had no movement at all so we would just schedule appointments for every 6 weeks or so. Now that I have some movement, i go about every 3-4 weeks and have exercises to do at home. We do some biofeedback and I can actually see the graph of the electrical activity in the muscles, so that has been hard proof for me that things are getting better all the time. Sometimes I feel like I'm just getting used to things and the people telling me I look better are just getting used to seeing me like this. It also helps you to isolate the muscles that should be exercising, so you don't get the wrong ones working.
I have a hard time at the dentist too. My hygienist just takes it slowly and lets me rest the muscles every so often.
Lori
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I just wanted to give you all my input about the facial tightness. In my case, the tightness iis caused by the muscles over working. It happens with facial nerve recovery. The muscles kind of spasm and it hurts. I think the cold weather makes it worse.
I just had botox injected into the large muscle in my neck (on the AN side) and it has helped so much.
Patti
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I'm dumb but what is the botox suppose to do?
I have had a girlfriend that keeps on asking me why not have the botox.
I just ignore her kind off.
eve
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The botox is a chemical that stops movement in muscles. The doctor injected just enough to calm down all the mass movement that was going on in my cheek. The large muscle in the neck controls many of the movement in the face.
Patti
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I quess I'm still confussed, don't you want movement.
I know 2 1/2 years and I have gotten some movement but my left side of the mouth is still pretty stiff just the right side of my lips move.
eve
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Well, you want the movement in your face, but sometimes some of the other muscles around that area get so tight and stay contracted that it gets painful. It happens frequently in the neck muscles. The botox injections can help to stop the spasms long enough to be able to stretch that muscle out a bit and to work on strengthening the correct muscles you want movement in. The use it a lot in people with spinal cord injuries also so that their joints don't get stuck in a flexed position.
And if you're a movie star, I hear it does wonders on wrinkles! ;)
Lori
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Thanks all,
I haven't had the muscles in my face get painful ... but they sure do tighten up in the cold like you said Patti. It's a good thing that I live in the Pacific Northwest...seldom do we have snow or temps below the 30 degree mark.... :)
Right now I have been sick since Sunday ... went to the doctor today and found out I have bronchitis and a sinus infection .... and no voice - do you know what that is like for a teacher :( . I used up almost all the sick leave I had when I had surgery in May (what I had saved up from almost 30 years in teaching) . I stayed home Monday and Tuesday because I couldn't even get up and now have only 17 hours left for the whole school year.
The scary thing about this, is that when a teacher (in my state) runs out of sick leave you lose 1/182 of your WHOLE years salery. Teachers are only paid for the days we work - no paid holidays or summers, or spring breaks (like a lot of people think). If I go over my sick leave it is a huge deal. I would have had more saved up but between, raising kids, a couple of other surgeries I had, and 2 sets of elderly parents who have been sick ... well, you know how it goes. Anyway, here's hoping the antibiotics kick in SOON ... and the tinnitus (which has been super loud since I got sick) softens up a bit. Have any of you had your tinnitus get louder when you are sick?
Margaret
P.S. Tomorrow is Friday... I think I can do one more day....then the weekend to rest up.
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thank you Lori,
for your answers. I am not a movie star I kind of not cared how I looked since the surgery. I do try some times but I noticed it doesn't help the older I get.
Marg,
Yes, my ringing in the ear does get louder when I am sick. Or when I take some medication. I am on antibiotics also for an infection I've developed here the past few weeks. I sure hope it clears up.
eve
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Marg,
Hope those antibiotics kick in quick. That's terrible to hear you lose so much by taking sick leave. Teachers just don't get the pay they deserve in the first place, but to take it away if they're sick is crazy. Especially since they probably caught whatever they have from one of the kids in the class anyway!
Hope you get to rest up over the weekend.
Lori
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HUGS Marg! :)
4
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Didn't make it to school today ( cough, cough, whisper, no voice.... ::) ) ... you know, all these years God has covered my family through a bunch of hard times..... realized I needed to trust Him with the sick leave thing too. I'm sure it will all work out.
Have a great weekend everyone... I"m going to rest, watch Christmas movies and eat chicken soup.
Margaret
P.S. Won't make it to the Portland AN meeting on Sat. :( and I feel worse about that than anything....wanted to meet more of my AN family. Husband says..... 'you need to rest - so you can get over this ' .... what can I say -he is right ::) .
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Marg,
My eldest was off school yesterday with what you described...
We will miss you tomorrow ... and I hope I get there (and I am not home with another sick family member- myself included…. Tis the flu season…)
Rest up Marg
4
P.S. How much flooding did you get over there?
Currently I am putting together shelter sacks (organized by my kids’ school) for kids in flood shelters in Vernonia. There are flood coverage stories on their school district web site
http://www.vernonia.k12.or.us/metadot/index.pl
When I read all the stories about generous and kind people helping out it renews my faith in the human spirit of kindness… and my kids too wanting to pitch in.
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We don't have flooding in our local area but my aunt and uncle (in their late 70's) had a mud slide hit their split level house on Hood Canal . My aunt was upstairs and was okay, my uncle (a former Marine) had his leg pinned...pulled his way out and got his wife out from the upstairs (what a hero). Later the house moved several more feet and has now been condemmed and is a total loss. Their family was able to get very little out of the house before it was condemmed...and now no one can go in. There insurance company told them that they were not covered for landslides !!! >:( . Like our AN experiences.... they are grateful for their survival -especially without injury .... but there is all the residual 'stuff' to deal with in the aftermath. We have a very strong extended family and are more than willing to do whatever we can to help them.
This definately made the flooding thing much more up close and personal to my family. We are hoping to hear more tonight ( the insurance co. said they would come out and take a look today ... not sure why if they won't cover the damage ?! ... but who knows something might still work out financially for them.
4 hope you do get to go to the meeting tomorrow and meet some of the AN family,
Margaret
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Hi Marg, I hope you are feeling better by now. It is too bad about the sick leave for teachers, it seems like all employers have decided that if they limit sick leave, people will just stop getting sick, which is of course ridiculous.
I met "4cm in Pacific Northwest" (4) at the meeting, along with several others, both new cases and old hands. It would have been great if you could have made it - next time for sure. The Tai Chi was interesting, but the round robin of "tell us your AN story" was the most interesting, with all kinds of stories to tell. Hopefully some of the people there will be dropping in on this forum as well. And 4 seems to be doing well, by the way.
Steve
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I knew it!!! "4" does have a real name! ;)
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Hi Patti--I had re-growth after 2001 surgery for a 1 cm rt AN and completed 30 FSR sessions at Mass Gen Boston MA last Fall. My rt back of neck muscle has always been tight since surgery (feels like a hard lump) and two months before FSR it got worse and during the FSR my AN side of face tightened up some--Dr Loeffler wasn't concerned that it had to do with AN swelling. 3 months after the FSR my face is really tight around my mouth and my eye and my eye is pulled down more --it's almost as if the synkinesis is worse --I can feel the muscle in my neck when I swallow or close my eye hard so I believe it must have to do with the muscle and not any AN swelling from radiation. And the neck muscle is extremely tight now and I've had headache problems so it seems this muscle has tightened and I think goes into spasm--why I wonder 6 yrs after surgery??? I am looking into the cost of massage as my PCP wants to go that route before prescribing any muscle relaxants.. You mentioned earlier you had a Botox shot to your neck muscle--Did you try muscle relaxants and/massage first? What kind of MD did the Botox injection? and did your PCP initiate the referral?
I am one of the Aners who meets w/Phl every 3 or 4 months at Maxwell Silverman's in Worc, MA for a roudy brunch!! :P
Otherwise apart from increased tinnitus and balance issue (due to neck muscle) I fee okay and one year MRI is due Oct of this year to see if the FSR worked or not.... ???
Whatever info you can share w/me will be greatly appreciated!! ;D
Regards, Mary from MA