ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Facial Issues => Topic started by: CROOKEDSMILE on March 30, 2009, 03:30:15 pm
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Welp,
All of that crazy twitching at my eyebrow, cheek, upper lip, chin was for a good reason. My kids got a kick out of watching it for one and the other is I feel like my face is looser. My eye also seems a little bit stronger. I can also see more of my teeth. I am 21 months post surgery/facial paralysis. I NEVER thought that healing would really occur so late like this. It hasn't been a dramatic difference but hey...I'll take anything! I feel like a bunny rabbit with my nose twitching all over the place and part Elvis with the lip snarl! It is amazing how the face reacts to the nerve trying to recover. The muscles go bizzerk!
Angie
twitch~twitch.
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YAHOO LIFE IS GRAND!
Nerve recovery is unpredicable and SLOW but your recent movement gives others so much hope! I am soooo happy for you Angie!!!
Hugs Michelle ~ I understand!
:-*
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Angie: WHOO HOO ! ! ! ! ! What wonderful news ! !
It seems like your nerve rested after the surgery but was always there,
& little by little, one neuron triggered the next neuron & so on & so on !
I, like Michelle, am so happy for you - you're getting your face back ! !
Always good thoughts, Nancy
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Great news, Angie! ;D
K
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Such good news! Congrats!
Becky
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Yea, Angie!
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Need some new pics, Angie. I just know you are looking beautiful.
Sara
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(http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m459/spaspoiled/DSCN5820_1.jpg)
Here ya go Sara! Updated. Still a slight droop at corner of mouth and left eye droops in outer corner but Easter Bunny (Dr. Olson) is going to fix this. Meet with her day after Easter! She will do a tuck on both eyes to give upward tilt to both eyes and maybe the Liquid Face Lift that is done with Collagen. Excuse the crazy hair.
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OMG, Angie. This is a beautiful picture. I truly don't see any issues with your face at all. I think you look phenomenal ;D
Jan
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Angie,
If you hadn't told me you had an issue I would never have known. You look beautiful and I am so glad you are seeing improvement. It gives hope to those on the forum (me, included) that are waiting on recovery issues.
Best,
Marci
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Thanks, Angie. As I predicted, you look great. Simply fabulous. You are what, 11 months ahead of me? I am looking forward to looking as nice.
And, if I may say so, I think your eye looks fine. I do not see any droop at all.
Sara
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you would never know you had palsy in the past, am the same with my face i am seeing good recovery now , 26 months post op, so it really is a waiting game.
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You look super fabulous! I'm really happy for the twitching! Yipee!!
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WOW you look amazing... honestly I really had to look and read your post to see which side you had your paraylsis. I can only hope to look so great! Love the pink pillow!
Don't be so hard on yourself you look great!
Michelle :P
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Angie! All I can say is, Wow! I can't tell you have facial palsy at all! Maybe, if I try real hard, I can see the slight droop in the lip, but not the eye at all. I have to echo others here, you look great!
Ernie
PS > You are going to have have to change your forum name soon :).
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Angie,
You're gorgeous! I'd gladly take facial palsy if I could look like that!!!!! Which side is it? I couldn't find the info in this thread. I honestly can't tell.
Congratulations on your milestone.
Nancy
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Angie, I also have to agree with the others. You look great! I couldn't tell what side was weak.
Jean
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Angie,
I more or less look like you. No I'm not blond.....I mean in the eye and the mouth area. My left cheek is slighty swollen compared to my right. I too am very critical on how I look. Only those that really know me can see the changes in my face. You do look lovely my friend. Good luck with your appointment.
Anne Marie
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Well guys,
You are very sweet. It is hard not having facial expressions. When I'm mad, upset, excited, happy.....the expression is the same. I miss a normal face but I am learning to move on. I think my face looks okay in a photo (sometimes) but it's when it is in motion that you can tell something isn't right! I appreciate all the nice things you've said and I really need to get back to my facial exercises as I have not done them in over a month. ( just gave up on them basically and wanted a break to "enjoy a normal life" and to ignore my face for awhile) I still hide when the camera is out as I HATE having my picture taken because it takes time to get my face to work right. Keep the left eye open, try to raise the cheek, raise the lip........so much to think about to get that darn little smile.
Much love,
Angie
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Angie ~
Belated but genuine congratulations on your continuing improvements! Of course, I can only echo what everyone else has already made clear: you look wonderful! :)
Jim
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Ok, that picture just proves that WE ARE OUR OWN WORST CRITIC!! You look great!! I wouldn't be complaining at all if I could get back to that good. (or so I say LOL...we all would *really* like to look like we used to, wouldn't we?)
Vonda
PS
I'm going for my first accupuncture session Thursday. Dr Ranfft, or something like that--he's on Kavanaugh. I think the thing that's bugging me the most right now is that I can't squint in bright light.
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Vonda,
Let me know how that goes. I had an appointment with someone on Rodney Parham about 1 month ago and chickened out. If you like him I would like to get the contact information as the guy I chose is Chinese and doesn't speak much English which is kind of stressful. Maybe we can meet for lunch sometime. I live downtown in the Quapaw Historic District about 10-15 minutes from where you will be for your appointment.
Take care,
How's the baby and the horses?
Angie
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Yes... you look great! :o
I'm coming up on 4 years post op .... I still feel improvement and twitches
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I have not had a twitch since my surgery (good in one respect since it was twitching behind my surgery in the first place). I wonder why some people gets the zings and twitches while others don't.
Sara
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Good question Sara,
I would like to know that too. I do know that my cheek is stronger after all the twitching and my 3rd tooth now shows when I smile big. (still a reserved tiny smile but I'll take it)
Do you get any weird sensations like tugging?
Angie
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Angie.
Great picture, thanks for sharing.
Sara... i don't get twitches either...but i have been having improvement in movement and tone since around 7 month mark. We are on a similar track for recovery (and same day surgery!).
Trish
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Angie, no pulling sensation either. Sometimes my face is tender to the touch for no apparent reason, but that's it.
Hi again, Trish. It would be so cool if we smile again on the same day, too.
Sara
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Vonda,
Let me know how that goes. I had an appointment with someone on Rodney Parham about 1 month ago and chickened out. If you like him I would like to get the contact information as the guy I chose is Chinese and doesn't speak much English which is kind of stressful. Maybe we can meet for lunch sometime. I live downtown in the Quapaw Historic District about 10-15 minutes from where you will be for your appointment.
Take care,
How's the baby and the horses?
Angie
Hey Angie, I'd love to do lunch sometime. My next appointment is thursday April 9 at 12:15. Should take about 30 minutes. And then I'll be back the week after that, and the week after that...I'm not sure how long I'll have to keep going. And I did like Dr Ranft. He's a little (Ok, a lot!) on the weird side, but I've found those are usually the best ones to go to. LOL He's a Dr of Oriental medicine and does herbs, accupuncture, chiro, etc. He was telling me that nerves grow about an inch a year and that nerve is about 5 inches long, so you can see improvement up to 5 years out from trauma, because the whole thing has to regenerate to get normal. Did that make sense? Anyway, he said he could definitely help me heal faster and seemed to think he could help me get more movement than I would get on my own. Only 2 of the needles went in my face, and those were a little bit painful going in, but once in didni't bother me. The rest of them I barely felt. I was feeling lots of tingles while the needles were in and it continued for a couple of hours after.
I think his phone number was 634-8800, but you might want to double check that.
The baby is doing super. She started crawling yesterday while I was gone (of course :-P). She'll be 8 months old next week. I haven't gotten to ride much, because my old horse just can't handle it, but I'm shopping for a new one. My b-day is later this month, hopefully I'll find what I'm looking for in time to be my b-day present. :-D
Vonda
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Sara I too do not get twitches. Parts of my face feel tender, sort of like a bruise. I feel surges (if that makes sense?) from the pons (the area in front of my ear) and then tingles and it gets a bit itchy. Something weird I am also itchy on the top of my head in one spot. A friend of mine who also had facial paraylsis as a result of an AN removal also had an itchy head. Strange but true. Anyone else have an itchy head in one spot?
Michelle ;D
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Vonda,
I will pm you with my phone number. I don't work and can arrange a lunch at anytime. So call me when you are in town!!!!!
Angie
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Dear Angie/Crookedsmile,
I agree you have to change your name.! :D
I totally empathize with you. Yes, your resting pose looks fantastic, but I'm sure it still takes extra effort to do all those things, like smile and talk and eat.
I promise to post my pic! I alternate between exercising my left face to doing nothing to exercising. I'm getting facial massage every other week and have my own little nerve stimulator device that a speech therapist recommended about 2 years ago.
I did E Stem prior to my 12/7.
So yes, the mouth is more symmetrical, but when I try to talk, well my left side of the mouth won't lift :-\
Keep trucking, keep pluggn, keep smiling!
Maureen
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Angie...I tend to say exactly what I'm thinking so please excuse me if this is a bit too forward. Can you please do all of us guys a favor and not avoid the camera anymore. Wow!...smokin!....that's the 1st thing that came to my mind.
Glad to hear things are improving for you. You'll be changing your handle to beautifulsmile before you know it.
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You guys are so nice. Tomorrow is Easter so I know the camera will be out lurking somewhere. My confidence will slowly return I'm sure. Much love to you all that are going through facial paralysis and love to those that don't but are going through other post op complications.
Angie