Facial Paralysis??

[steph]

Hi Jan, the movement on your mouth is a great sign. I had my surgery in sept 04 and it took 7 months for me to get any movement. Now I have no droop, my face looks symetrical, I even get a pretty good smile when I work at it. It takes time and I think everyone is different. I know it's hard and boy do I have my bad days but you are on your way. I also had the weight put in in July and I like it overall. I have to put less drops in during the day and it is less dry when I wake up (I still tape it down at night). Good luck, keep  your chin up (no pun intended) 

[Boppie]

Why does tongue numbness remain for a longer time than all the rest?  Is this true for you, or is each facial recovery different?

[luv2teachsped]

Boppie - I agree.  It has been 8 mo. post surgery.  My tongue and cheek are still somewhat numb.  The inside of my cheek(AN side) and my bottom lip constant have lovely bite marks!ouch! ;Dluv2teach

[kimmy]

Jan. My AN side has gone up "too far" and is now higher than the good side. My smile is crooked and my eye closes when I talk or eat. People say it doesn't show unless I mention it first but I am very conscious of it and wonder if this is how it will stay. Anybody know the answer?

[Cheryl R]

This is called synkinesis and as the nerve healed  not quite right ,it causes the muscles to move wrong.            It can be controlled a little with some work but probably not gone completely.   
   I have some also.             Look under www.bellspalsy.ws     and there is some info under the fascial retaining on it.                            Cheryl R.

[kimmy]

I looked on the  www.bellspalsy site and it was interesting to read what was going on with my face. It certainly is synkinesis. There were exercises to do but I read on "our" Forum that it wasn't always wise to do them because they could cause synkinesis. Confused now and wondering whether it continues to get worse or if this is it. Has anyone had facial therapy, did it work out OK?

[duongvan]

Wind6: You said you had a gold bar put it in; I have a few questions regarding  to that because I am planning for that as well. Do you recommend to have a gold bar put it in? How was that feel like before and after surgery?

Do you have to wear a special kind of glass in addition to the gold bar? My eye is killing me right now, I can't see clear, always blurry because of the ointment. Do you look as if you eye drool a little? Please write thanks. Van,

[Terri]

Kimmy: Facial therapy is a great idea, and a facial neuromuscular therapist can help you eliminate synkinesis with a well designed exercise routine. Be sure to go a therapist that has been trained by Jacqueline Diehls, who is the leader in this area. They are listed on the Bells Palsy site.

Terri

[Angela]

I'm 15m post-op and still have total facial paralysis.  The facial nerve was intact but did not stimulate after surgery.  Still, the doctors told me it would probably recover in 6m.  An EMG at 8m showed nothing.  The follow-up EMG at 12m showed no change.  No twitching, no nothing.

I'm getting acupuncture but there's minimal progress and only during the treatment, not at any other time.  What I would give to have problems like twitches or asymmetry!

I can close the right eye if I think about it but it doesn't blink.  I have 2 tear duct plugs so that I don't have to use "Refresh Liquigel" constantly.  I wear a clear "bubble" shield on my eye during sleep and put 'goop' in my eye.

An aquaintence, and fellow AN-er, wears temporary weights on his eye everyday and seems ok with it.

[Jeanlea]

I have a question about facial paralysis.  I'm 8 months post-op with facial paralysis and numbness on my left side.  My facial nerve was intact after surgery.  I haven't had an EMG done though.  I am often feeling twitches and other feelings in my face.  At 3 months I noticed the slightest movement on my face.  I have a little more movement now, but still no smile or real blink.  If your face doesn't come out of facial paralysis at all do you still feel the twitching?  At 6 months my doctor told me my face would not come back.  Reading some of your posts I see that it can take a very long time.  Guess I just want some reason to feel that things will still improve. 

Jean

[Battyp]

Jean why no emg?  My post surgical testing indicated that my facial nerve is intact it's my trigiminal nerve that is my problem.  From what I've learned they can test to see where the facial nerve is.  I was originally told that they would consider doing nerve grafts at the one year mark if my face didn't come back.  Unf. the nerve causing the problem I've been told can not be fixed (  Hoping it will still regenerate some. 

[Karen]

How many others have problems with the trigimenal nerve?  I have the numbness that really bothers me.  Have you been told that nothing can be done?  How about your eye is it numb?  Karen

[onebadass350bird]

How many others have problems with the trigimenal nerve?  I have the numbness that really bothers me.  Have you been told that nothing can be done?  How about your eye is it numb?  Karen

I'm telling you Michelle, the sensation will not come back all at the same time nor will it come back evenly.  It will more then likely start to come back in small little patches that you won't notice unless you look for them.  Are you looking for them?  I know are about 9 months post op right?  I think you're at the perfect time to start lookin'.  Pick up a 12 pack, soda or beer, your choice, lol, and through them in the fridge.  At least once a week pop one out nice and cold and BEFORE, lol, you open it, slowly run it along the bad side of your face  and look for small places that you might be able to feel it.  I do this and only have a small place near my the outside of my eyebrow, a little bit on the middle of my cheekbone and a small strip between my face and my ear that runs verticle along with a small area on the side of my nose.  What I'm getting at is, I think in the last couple months is that those spots that I mentioned have gotten a little bit bigger(maybe 10-15%) over the last 3 months or so but would never have known without looking for it.

Tom

[Battyp]

Oh how I wish it was that easy!  I feel hot, cold, pressure and movement.  I don't feel if you stick a pin in my face, my tongue feels hot cold and pressure but no taste and feels swollen.  It still feels like a lot of novicane shots from the dentist office.  I'm anxiously awaiting my appt next month with the surgeon to get his take, but think I already know the answer 

[jacobs]

 In response to duongvan and the gold weight.I am 5 weeks post op from a 2.5 cm translab.During the surgery the surgeon had to cut my facial nerve.They decided at that time to put a gold weight in my eyelid.Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be heavy enough and my eye only blinks halfway on its own.I am using drops during the day and lacrilube and a plastic wrap patch at night.My opthamologist said he would have put in a heavier weight if he had done the surgery.I didn't wear eyeglasses before the surgery but since have bought a pair if frames and just had a non presciption lens put in.This seems to help by acting as a barrier against wind,dust air conditioning etc.
 Hope this is helpful.