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Author Topic: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted  (Read 8478 times)

arkansasfarmgirl

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Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« on: December 23, 2009, 01:40:35 pm »
These aren't the best pics of me, they're from our recent vacation in Mexico, but I haven't been exactly chasing cameras around asking to have my pic taken...  I was really kind of surprised that they turned out as good as good as they did.  Just thought I'd share, in case anybody needed some encouragement.








This one is from back in August, so you can see my eye.  It's doing better now, I'm a total believer in accupuncture.  :-)



Vonda

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arkansasfarmgirl

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2009, 01:44:21 pm »
I'm in shock that I was brave enough to hit send on that one!!!!  Eeek!!
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tenai98

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2009, 01:53:02 pm »
wow, awesome pics....now i knoww there is hope for facial nerve grafts
JO
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14mmX11mmX11mm left ear
TRANSLAB 04/07/09 2cms at time of surgery
Dr. Benoit and Schramm, Ottawa Civic Campus
SSD ,some facial numbness
Baha surgery sept 22/09
residual tumor 13mmX7mmX8mm
2016 new growth.  25mmX21mmX22mm
cyberknife on June 7

msmaggie

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2009, 02:08:12 pm »
You look terrific!  Great recovery from a procedure that definitely did you a world of good!

Priscilla
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Diagnosed  left AN 8/07/08, 1.9 CM
Surgery 12/10/08 at Methodist Hospital w/Vrabec and Trask for what turned out to be a cpa meningioma.

Jim Scott

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2009, 04:07:42 pm »
Vonda ~

Thanks for the photos.  Your thoughtfulness in posting them as an encouragement to others is much appreciated... and you look just fine.  

I'm always a bit amused when post-op/radiation AN patients that actually have enjoyed much facial improvement and post photos always seem to believe they look terrible, when the opposite is usually true.  As many are going to tell you, Vonda, you look great - and you have a very attractive family.  Thanks for sharing your photos with all of us - and a Merry Christmas to you, your husband and those cute kids....and may 2010 be a great year for you all.  :)

Jim
« Last Edit: January 05, 2010, 04:38:53 pm by Jim Scott »
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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.

nancyann

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2009, 10:37:44 am »
Vonda:  these are beautiful pictures ! !  Thank you for sharing !
Always good thoughts,  Nancy
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2.2cm length x 1.7cm width x 1.3cm  depth
retrosigmoid 6/19/06
Gold weight 7/19/06, removed 3/07
lateral tarsel strip X3
T3 procedure 11/20/07
1.6 Gm platinum weight 7/10/08
lateral canthal sling 11/14/08
Jones tube insert right inner eye 2/27/09
2.4 Gm. Platinum chain 2017
right facial paralysis

Sue

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2009, 03:40:08 pm »
Looks pretty darn good to me.  And an adorable family by the way!

Sue in Vancouver, USA
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Sue in Vancouver, USA
 2 cm Left side
Diagnosed 3/13/06 GK 4-18-06
Gamma Knife Center of Oregon
My Blog, where you can read my story.


http://suecollins-blog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hello.html


The only good tumor be a dead tumor. Which it's becoming. Necrosis!
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CHD63

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2009, 04:55:02 pm »
Vonda .....

What precious pictures and you look wonderful!!  What an inspiration to others!  Thanks for sharing them!

Clarice
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Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

jazzfunkanne

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2009, 09:10:22 am »
is that after the facial nerve got cut, and you had too have a graft?, your face looks 100% brill photosx
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over 4.5cm AN removed dec 06

mimoore

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2009, 01:29:41 pm »
Beautiful family, beautiful photos! It is hard to believe that you ever had surgery!Life is good!

Your facial nerve was severed at surgery? What graft method did they use?
This is very encouraging for patients that may want to discuss options during their pre -op appointment. I know for sure that it was discussed during mine but it would be a future thing offered not during surgery, I am impressed with your doctors choices. Do you have any tumour left?

I wouldn't eek if I was you, go and look at my photos I posted right after surgery and then three others during my recovery.Now they were scary!
Michelle  ;D
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Retrosigmond surgery on June 4th, 2008 for an AN. 100% hearing loss and facial paralysis (was not prepared for facial paralysis). Size: 2.3 cm, 2.1 cm, 1.8 cm. some tumour remains along facial nerve. Pray for no regrowth. Misdiagnosed for 10 yrs.

Meagan

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2009, 09:59:13 am »
That just made me happy to see those pictures....there are options.  Thanks a bunch and you look stunning!!!!

Meagan
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5 cms, Surgery Jan 3 2007

arkansasfarmgirl

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2009, 04:09:29 pm »
Quote from: mimoore on December 28, 2009, 01:29:41 pm
Beautiful family, beautiful photos! It is hard to believe that you ever had surgery!Life is good!

Your facial nerve was severed at surgery? What graft method did they use?
This is very encouraging for patients that may want to discuss options during their pre -op appointment. I know for sure that it was discussed during mine but it would be a future thing offered not during surgery, I am impressed with your doctors choices. Do you have any tumour left?

I wouldn't eek if I was you, go and look at my photos I posted right after surgery and then three others during my recovery.Now they were scary!
Michelle  ;D


Thank you for the compliment on my family.  Life really is good, and those kids have been such a blessing to me.  The husband is great too, most of the time.  LOL

Yes, my nerve was severed during surgery--they said it was too wrapped up in the tumor to be able to save it.  They took a nerve from my neck for the graft.  The tumor was 100% removed.  I have come so far since last spring:  I let my mom take pics of us at Easter and cried and hid in the bathroom when I saw them.  Now, I can look at myself and think "well, that's not too bad".   ;D
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arkansasfarmgirl

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2009, 04:21:28 pm »
Funny story to go with the pics:

While we were in Mexico, Wes and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary with a candlelight dinner for 2 on the beach.  They served us 3 different cocktails and a bottle of wine during the 5 course meal and I got TOASTED!  Anyway, I woke up the next morning and my bad eye wasn't blinking at all and my smiled was more lopsided.  I totally freaked!!!!!!!!!!!  Things started returning to normal through the day, and by the next day I was back to my new normal.  My doc said, "You experienced the wonderful toxicity of alcohol."  I had no idea it could do that to you, or that it would last so long.  I bet I don't do that again...

V
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cin605

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2009, 06:31:30 pm »
You look great!Glad to hear all is well......Don't u just LOVE mexico?
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2cm removed retrosig 6/26/08
DartmouthHitchcock medical center lebanon,N.H.
43yrs old

moe

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Re: Pics 1 year after facial nerve severed and grafted
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2009, 12:15:50 am »
Vonda,
You look great! I'm assuming the AN was on the left side. The only way I can tell is by looking at the eye.
What a great idea to have the graft with the surgery. (wishful thinking on my part).
Enjoy your beautiful family :)
Maureen
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06/06-Translab 3x2.5 vascular L AN- MAMC,Tacoma WA
Facial nerve cut,reanastomosed.Tarsorrhaphy
11/06. Gold weight,tarsorrhaphy reversed
01/08- nerve transposition-(12/7) UW Hospital, Seattle
5/13/10 Gracilis flap surgery UW for smile restoration :)
11/10/10 BAHA 2/23/11 brow lift/canthoplasty
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