Author Topic: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...  (Read 9525 times)

4cm in Pacific Northwest

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Holy doodle! :o

Here it is only weeks away from my 3-year post op anniversary and my dead paralyzed forehead starts to move, this week, and we can now actually see some forehead wrinkles returning... 8)

So those of you who think that after one year of no movement it is totally hopeless (and have been told this by a doctor)  :-\  ... question that thought.

In the past few months I have asked my husband to message the head between the forehead and the crown (pulling the hair up and scrunching it -to pull up on the skin and muscles) and down on toward the neck ...

Low and behold something is now finally firing- almost 3 years later!

Here are some links to facial muscle images

Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lateral_head_anatomy.jpg

Here are the labels on the muscles- on this wiki image
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Gray378.png

I asked him to pull the hair up (and hold) on the following muscles:
Frontalis (above the hairline only)
Galea Apncurrotica
aurculas sup
occipitalis

I also found that when he does this it almost always relieves any headaches I have (so far I have avoided medications for headaches.) I think the retrosygmoid headaches are caused by the muscle going into the titanium mesh (ie the craniatomy hole seal)  and catching on it… it seems when my husband pulls the hair up (along side the skin and muscle) it may be moving the muscle off  and away from the mesh plate.


Hmm- maybe I am on to something here. :-\ ???

Something is working for me  8) - so I thought I would share with you all… in hope it may work for others too.

DHM

4cm Left, 08/22/07 R/S 11+ hr surgery Stanford U, Dr. Robert Jackler, Dr. Griffith Harsh, Canadian fellow Assist. Dr. Sumit Agrawal. SSD, 3/6 on HB facial scale, stick-on-eyeweight worked, 95% eye function@ 6 months. In neuromuscular facial retraining. Balance regained! Recent MRI -tumor receded!

moe

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2010, 10:11:43 pm »
Holy doodle is right!
That is excellent news! Good info too (as usual  ;) )
Happy for you. Keep the exercises going an let us know if you continue to have forehead movement.
Maureen
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

Jackie

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2010, 11:28:02 pm »
Fantastic news, DHM,

What a test case you have been, and we all appreciate your willingness to share these milestones! You are an inspiration!! Continued healing!!!
Jackie
9mm x 11mm Right Side AN mild Tinnitis, and 60% hearing loss
Diagnosed 02/04/2007
Nov.13th, diagnosed with 5mm Meningioma
9/24/08 diagnosed with Aneurysm
Wait and watch per ENT's advice and researching my options!!! What's next???

ppearl214

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2010, 04:54:30 am »
Hey my Dazy hazy mazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :-*  :-*  :-*   :-*

KUDOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pls keep us updated! FAB news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xo
Pearly Whites!  ;D
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

Kaybo

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2010, 06:26:57 am »
Snaps for you!!

:D
Translab 12/95@Houston Methodist(Baylor College of Medicine)for "HUGE" tumor-no size specified
25 yrs then-14 hour surgery-stroke
12/7 Graft 1/97
Gold Weight x 5
SSD
Facial Paralysis-R(no movement or feelings in face,mouth,eye)
T3-3/08
Great life!

steph28

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2010, 07:50:08 am »
Hiya

Thank you for posting that. It does feel me with hope that one day I will start to get some movement. The doctors have always said to me that after 2 years the facial muscles die so there would be no improvement. How wrong are they!!

Thank you again

jazzfunkanne

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2010, 12:43:48 pm »
hi what other exercises did you try over the years , am still seeing changes 3.5 years laterx
over 4.5cm AN removed dec 06

Jeanlea

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2010, 02:10:41 pm »
Congratulations on your new movement.  It's good to hear that it is also helping your headaches.  It seems like there is always hope for new movement.

Jean
translab on 3.5+ cm tumor
September 6, 2005
Drs. Friedland and Meyer
Milwaukee, WI
left-side facial paralysis and numbness
TransEar for SSD

epodjn

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2010, 02:55:46 pm »
Woo Hoo!! So glad to hear that. I was just wondering since I am 19 months out and still have no forehead movement if there was just no hope now. Wrong! Do you have any movement in your eyebrows? I have been contemplating having an eyebrow lift. I'm tired of the darn thing being so droopy and getting lost in the crease of my eye. So glad to hear from you who are still getting movement years after surgery. Keep us posted!
Julie
Left side 3.2cm AN/FN removed 12/8/08 Dr's. Shelton and Reichman. SSD, facial paralysis,taste issues, lateral tarrsoraphy 6/25/09,scheduled for eye and nasal valve surgery 6/22/11 life is GOOD!

Jim Scott

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2010, 03:47:23 pm »
DHM ~

Congratulations !  Thanks for sharing, not only the progress you've seen in your facial movements, but the inspiration inherent in that news. 

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.

nancyann

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2010, 11:18:06 am »
I'm on my lunch break & see this post.  WHOO HOO is right !!!  You just made my day !!  CONGRATULATIONS !!  'You've come a long way baby!'
Always good thoughts,  Nancy
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

mimoore

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2010, 01:56:04 pm »
That is very encouraging thanks for sharing!
Clink - here's to more movement!
Michelle  ;D
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.

Kaybee

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2010, 05:00:26 pm »
That's fantastic!  My facial therapist told me the forehead would never move again and if mine did, she would write a case study on me.  I'm sending her your way! :)
2 x 3 x 4 cm tumor removed at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis 10/30/09
Left facial paralyis/SSD (showed first signs of improvement at approximately 6 months post-op)

yardtick

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2010, 05:33:24 pm »
I missed this also  >:(

I am so happy for you!!!  ;D


Anne Marie
Sept 8/06 Translab
Post surgical headaches, hemifacial spasms and a scar neuroma. 
Our we having fun YET!!! 
Watch & Wait for more fun & games

juliebergeron

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Re: New movement!!!- weeks away from the 3 year post op date...
« Reply #14 on: August 16, 2010, 02:09:00 pm »
Congradulations !... :D