Author Topic: Balance bad pre op what about post op?  (Read 4570 times)

mindyandy

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Balance bad pre op what about post op?
« on: January 13, 2012, 10:02:44 pm »
As you all know im trying to prepare myself for after surgery. My balance is horrible now. I have to concentrate walking a straight line. If I just walk without paying attention then I tend to go to the right. Lol I stumble etc. Walking in the dark is not pretty.
does this mean that I am already compensating? My balance nerve is shot. Im wondering since my balance is shot then I shouldn't have too tough of a time with balance post op right????
14mm dx 9/07. CK done Seattle  1 year MRI showed some shrinkage. 4 year MRI 2mm growth nothing conclusive. Trigminal nerve involvment Retrosigmoid Friedmand/Schwartz HEI March 7,2012

Jim Scott

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Re: Balance bad pre op what about post op?
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2012, 02:19:33 pm »
As you all know im trying to prepare myself for after surgery. My balance is horrible now. I have to concentrate walking a straight line. If I just walk without paying attention then I tend to go to the right. Lol I stumble etc. Walking in the dark is not pretty.
does this mean that I am already compensating? My balance nerve is shot. Im wondering since my balance is shot then I shouldn't have too tough of a time with balance post op right????

Mindy ~

No guarantees but although your brain is probably compensating now, you're likely to still need some 'balance therapy', post-op.  For me, that consisted of simply taking long walks (with my wife, for company) on uneven surfaces as much as possible until I improved.  I also had 5 in-home balance therapy sessions with a visiting PT nurse and I continued the exercises for a while on my own.

The reality is that you very likely won't instantly re-gain your ability to balance/walk normally after the surgery, but it will definitely improve - with some work on your part.     

Jim
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

LakeErie

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Re: Balance bad pre op what about post op?
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2012, 09:04:17 pm »
My balance was bad pre-op, especially with head movement. Standing with my feet next to each other, crossing my arms across my chest, and then closing my eyes ( a standard balance test ) lead to swaying immediately.
The doctors I consulted both estimated my tumor had been growing for 15 to 20 years to reach almost 5 cm in size. Both doctors also believed I had probably compensated already and would not experience balance issues after surgery.
I did have balance problems for the first 4 weeks I was up and walking, but it resolved over a 4 week period and improved each week. My balance will never be what it once was when I was younger ( I am 65 ) but is fine right now.
I did have to walk outside  with repeating head movements - 45 degrees right, then left, up and down - to feel better balanced. I also walked inside (close to a wall) in a figure 8 pattern until it made me lightheaded. I did it 3 times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening. Soon it stopped making me feel unbalanced. I found these exercises on YouTube and the videos were from University of Michigan physical therapy.
 
4.7 cm x 3.6 cm x 3.2 cm vestibular schwannoma
Simplified retrosigmoid @ Cleveland Clinic 10/06/2011
Rt SSD, numbness, vocal cord and swallowing problems
Vocal cord and swallowing normalized at 16 months. Numbness persists.
Regrowth 09/19/2016
GK 10/12/2016 Cleveland Clinic
facial weakness Jan 2017