Author Topic: Movement in paralyzed face  (Read 4186 times)

micca82

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Movement in paralyzed face
« on: August 10, 2011, 02:52:08 pm »
Okay. It's not much, but I wanted to share with my fellow ANers.

On 8/7/11 I felt strange twitch on too of my nose on the paralyzed side, about 1/3 way down from top of my nose. I stared at the mirror for a while and it was surely twitching! My husband even saw it. Then next day, I realized I could voluntarily move a small muscle near that twitching area.

I'm 18 weeks out from my surgery. My numb, paralyzed face had really crushed me and there were many days when fear just consumed me entirely. On the same day my nose twitched, I heard that my grandmother in Korea has a pancreatic cancer and she only has 6 months top. I'm planning on flying to Korea to see her next month. She knows about my surgery but doesn't know about my face. I haven't seen her in 6 years and I was really hurting to know that she's dying and I won't be able to show her my smile. My plan was to visit Korea with my three girls once I recover so my grandma gets to see my little girls. She may never see them. I was so devastated by this the whole day and that night, my nose twitched. Since 10 weeks out, I've been getting tugging/pulling/crawling feeling near my lower li and chin so I had expected that I would get movement there first. The twitch in my nose completely surprised me!

Now, I'm praying that I get more recovery before I leave for Korea on 9/13 so I can give my grandma an assurance that I'm healing. I hope my nerves will cooperate.

Another good news-since the surgery, my AN side eye was always turned in and won't move past midline so I have a double vision 24/7, but it's gotten better. It is still turned in, but not as much as it did before, and I can move it a little bit further than midline.

Yay!



MRI found 5.1cm AN on left on 3/18/11: age of 28
Surgery 4/5/11 with dr.Tamargo and dr. Francis. @ johns Hopkins
Whole tumor removed, facial nerves in tact, but unresponsive
Platinum eyelid weight on 4/6
Left facial paralysis, numbness, double vision

God is the Healer

Jim Scott

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Re: Movement in paralyzed face
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2011, 03:04:11 pm »
Micca ~

Thank you for sharing this wonderful news - and congratulations!

I'm very sorry to learn of your grandmothers terminal illness but at least you'll be able to see her again next month, hopefully, with a smile.  Even without it, I'm sure your grandmother will be grateful for the visit.   

Jim
« Last Edit: August 25, 2011, 01:34:30 pm by Jim Scott »
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: Movement in paralyzed face
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2011, 06:29:00 pm »
Hello Micca:  wonderful news re: the twitching - I never had that.  I believe your grandmother won't care about your face - it's what you show her on the inside that counts !  Stand tall & proud my friend, hold her in your arms & let her know how much you love her, THAT is what's important, not what's on the outside.  Let her see that you are a strong woman (obvious to me),
& that you love life.  Enjoy your visit with her.  I wish I could hold my grandmothers one more time.
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

Anasazi42

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Re: Movement in paralyzed face
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2011, 10:54:51 pm »
Hi Micca,

On August 9th, I had another visit with my neurosurgeon who said he was hoping that I would have had facial movement on my right side by now. He walked out to get my latest MRI, and I just started crying. My husband was so upset for me, too. Today, I'm 12 weeks out of surgery and I still can't move the right side of my face. Reading your post gives me so much hope. We cried, got that out of our systems, and now we'll continue to be positive. We're all different and I have to believe that I'll get some movement back. The twitching you felt 18 weeks out of surgery is wonderful news! Wonderful and inspiring! Also, what you describe is how my double vision started resolving itself, too. Little by little I started noticing slight movement of my right eye. Slowly but surely, I could tell that the AN eye was fixing itself and would soon be able to focus an image with my left eye, which it eventually did. So, what you're noticing is a good sign.

Okay. It's not much, but I wanted to share with my fellow ANers.

On 8/7/11 I felt strange twitch on too of my nose on the paralyzed side, about 1/3 way down from top of my nose. I stared at the mirror for a while and it was surely twitching! My husband even saw it. Then next day, I realized I could voluntarily move a small muscle near that twitching area.

I'm 18 weeks out from my surgery. My numb, paralyzed face had really crushed me and there were many days when fear just consumed me entirely. On the same day my nose twitched, I heard that my grandmother in Korea has a pancreatic cancer and she only has 6 months top. I'm planning on flying to Korea to see her next month. She knows about my surgery but doesn't know about my face. I haven't seen her in 6 years and I was really hurting to know that she's dying and I won't be able to show her my smile. My plan was to visit Korea with my three girls once I recover so my grandma gets to see my little girls. She may never see them. I was so devastated by this the whole day and that night, my nose twitched. Since 10 weeks out, I've been getting tugging/pulling/crawling feeling near my lower li and chin so I had expected that I would get movement there first. The twitch in my nose completely surprised me!

Now, I'm praying that I get more recovery before I leave for Korea on 9/13 so I can give my grandma an assurance that I'm healing. I hope my nerves will cooperate.

Another good news-since the surgery, my AN side eye was always turned in and won't move past midline so I have a double vision 24/7, but it's gotten better. It is still turned in, but not as much as it did before, and I can move it a little bit further than midline.

Yay!
Diag. Dr. Saffran ENT 3-9-11; 45 yrs at time of diag. 3.5+ cm AN rt side; 9 hr retrosigmoid craniectomy 5-12-11 FL Hosp. South, Neurosurgeon Dr. Melvin Field; Gold wt implant
Post-op: facial para. (rt), double vision (cleared up), SSD, tinnitus, balance issues, ataxia, movement disorder

HJY

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Re: Movement in paralyzed face
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2011, 07:34:50 pm »
Yay! Yay! Yay!! Soooooo happy for you!! My movement started with a tiny twitch near my bottom lip so expect more!! I am so sorry about your grandma. She must have walked many journeys in her life, many of them difficult (as we all do). She's not going to care about your face - just that you're there. I know it's not the way you wanted it to be but be encouraged that this will be a precious time for you both.

Take care - and keep twitching!

Heathet
1.4cm L sided AN removed 6th Dec, 2010 (7 weeks after my 3rd baby was born!)
Surgeons - Proff Marcus Atlas & Dr George Wong, Ear Science Institute, Perth Western Australia
Mid Fossa,Hearing preserved,HB level 6 facial palsy Balance
issues
1st Oct, 2011 - Facial recovery HB 2-3, sudden HL of 30dB

kim508

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Re: Movement in paralyzed face
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2011, 08:38:20 pm »
Hi...that story hit me..cause I just got to see my gradmother and it been 8years and I dont know if ill get to seee her again but when I saw her with half my face working it didnt matter..and iknow it wont matter to her iether..i am sooo happy with my time with her...it brings smiles to my hear even tho we stilll cant smile on our face...i hope u contue to get some movement and have a goood trip and I am soory to hear she is not doing good
Kim