extra fluid?

[krbonner]

OK, here's a question.  I'll be three weeks out from surgery tomorrow.

About 10 days after surgery, I lost some of the hearing in my non-AN ear.  The neuro-ENT thinks it's fluid in my inner ear built up b/c I speand all my time sleeping on my non-AN side.  (The pressure bruise on my AN side makes it uncomfotable to sleep any other way.)  Today, I woke up with fluid in my eyelid and around my eye on the non-AN side.  Very funky.  I will be calling my docs as soon as the office opens, but wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience.  (Couldn't find anything searching the archives.)  Possible CSF leak???

Katie

[Joef]

does not sound like a CSF leak to me ..

I was the same way .. did not like to sleep on my AN .. but I like sleeping that way! .. sleeping on my good ear, I can hardly hear the TV my wife watches alll night !!  .. and the alarm too .

can you just sleep on your back? to see if that helps?

[krbonner]

I wish I could sleep on my back!  That still puts pressure on my elbow in just the wrong place.  I can somewhat sleep on my stomach, but only with the non-AN side down.

Very frustrating.  At least I can tell that the pressure bruise is, in fact, getting better - just vvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy slowly.

Katie

[Laura]

That does sound a bit odd Katie - what did the doctors office say?

[krbonner]

Update

The fluid had cleared out by the time I'd been up and moving for a few hours.  The nurse at the doctor's office did not seem concerned, but wants me to call in tomorrow morning to tell them what happens after sleeping tonight.  Dr. McKenna isn't actually in the office today, but they will talk to him about me tomorrow regardless of what happens tonight.

I'm reassured that they didn't think it means anything serious, but that they still took me seriously.

Katie

[Boppie]

Katie, I had a strange pain in my elbow for the AN side too.  The only way I could sleep at all was on my back.  So, when I slept out flat in the bed I'd sleep on my back and keep my elbow propped up a little at the side and the related forearm across my belly, palm down on the abdomen.  This kept the elbow from pressure from hurting.  Also, I had pillows all around my head to remind me not to roll over on that elbow.  The pain went away at about three weeks.  I never found out what caused the elbow pain but it was bad.  ..probably a bruise as you say.

[matti]

Hi Katie - That happened to me on day 4 while still in the hospital and would come and go for the first few days at home. . In the hospital, I was given warm compresses to apply to my eye. I noticed getting up and moving around seemed to help. Getting comfy in bed is indeed a difficult task after AN surgery, but it will get better, I promise!

Cheryl

[Battyp]

I thought I'd never sleep on my an side again.  I can now for small periods and in one position as my head is still tender a year out    Funny, Katie a few times I called my surgeons office a little concerned over something and they acted so non-chalant over it that it drove me nuts!  Things they see all the time that are new to us...duh give us a manual of this is normal  LOL  Hope it gets better!

[krbonner]

It has gotten better.  It was bad only the one morning last week.  I had some puffiness around the eye some other mornings, but it cleared within an hour or so of being up and moving.  I will give my doc's office credit for taking me seriously - the nurse even made sure to call back at the end of the week ot check in and make sure I had the phone # to call if something happened over the long weekend.

I do think it was just a case of a bit of swelling and rebalancing of fluid in my head.  Nothing serious!   

Katie

[amylynn]

Glad you are doing better, Katie.  Sounds like another success story to add to the archives.  Thanks for keeping us posted with the details.  A speedy recovery to you.
Amy