Survey for translabers

[Yvette]

Hi fellow translabs. Fullness in the ear and head tightness..how long before it went away completely and forever?
Love you all, Yvette

[Brendalu]

It has been 28 months and I haven't lost it yet.

Brenda

[satman]

I'm still dealing with it.
surgery was april/07 ,so I guess 7 months now.
But most of the time I dont realize it,pre-occupied I guess

[Sam Rush]

36 months and still have it.

[Boppie]

I've never noticed fullness in my head or ear.  I had some neck and head pains for a few months post op.  Never think about it.

[Gennysmom]

For the first 4 or so months, it felt like someone packed that side of my head tight with surgical gauze.  It's not like that now, but I do notice a tightness that wasn't there before.  Most comes from the weird tightness/hypertonus that I have/had in my face from that whole part of it. 

[Yvette]

Thank you for the responses! Keep 'em coming:-)

[lori67]

Never had the ear fullness, but for a few weeks after surgery I told my husband I felt like they had taken a tuck in my head when they stapled/sewed it back together because it felt tight - like the skin wasn't big enough anymore.  Maybe it was from some swelling or the weird numbness I had, but it feels like it's the right size again.

[Rc Moser]

52 months post-opt. still have numbness, some dizzy spells, Buzzing or rushing in the an ear where there is no ear. Headaches, less migraine's. and wondering aches and pain. Not too much fullness unless I blow my nose too hard or have a really big sneeze. 

On the bright side my eye working pretty good now and I have no droop, but no lift and you hae to look really close to notice any sag on my an side. able to work 85% to 90% of the time with only a few bad days in a month ( bad meaning Total bed rest with no noise or light till the migraine passes.

[Jeanlea]

I never had any fullness feeling in my ear.  I'm not sure about the tightness.  I have no feeling on my AN side along with facial paralysis.  It feels like my face and side of my head has pressure on it on that side. 

Jean

[danijake]

I am only 4 months post op - Tumor was on the left side, not very big, but ice cream cone shaped and pressing on my brain stem. I went with the translab approach. The headaches started as soon as I was off the pain meds. They aren't migraines, cluster or tension headaches. They are unlike any headache imaginable. I wake up all hours with my heartbeat in my head and muscle spasms in my neck and shoulders. It's a struggle to sit up and take my ibuprofen. I am trying to go back to work, but I am deaf in my left ear and the noise of the A/C blower and people talking just overwhelms me and I have a...HEADACHE! I feel defeated even though the surgery was a success and I am happy to be alive to raise my son.

[Yvette]

Sounds like an ongoing trial with varying degrees. Thank you for everyone's responses. I am 11 months post op, and it has slowly gotten better. As many others have expressed, it does get worse when fatigued or during/after exercize. Glad yours is back to the "right size" Lori:-)

Danijake-I had the heartbeat in my head for a while too, but it goes away. Audio and visual stimuli need to be kept to a minimum for you right now-that also got better over time with me-hang in there!

Yvette

[Top Op Man]

Im 30 months post op and get no fullness. I do get intermittent head pain both at scar and just in front of ear.
When it starts does make me feel weird, not sure why? It feels a bit like scar contracture but not sure. Thankfully
doesnt last long.
Gary

[bpham]

Surgery was done in Oct 8 2007.  Currently no fullness feeling anymore.  I had it during the first 6 weeks.  The discomfort around the mastoid bone where, I believe the opening was made, seems to be a little more now than few weeks ago when I lay down on the pillow to sleep, on that side.  The tightness feeling is pronounced when I just wake up, espcially when I try to open my mouth widely like yarning. However, when I wake up, it seems to be almost normal.  Yes, sometimes it does feel like the skin is too tight around that area.

[neal r. lyons]

Hello Yvette.  I did not experience the fullness of the ear to my recollection although I  seem to have a sense of what it is.

Tightness for me is centered on the face extending from below eye to chin.  Had some head pangs as incision was healing but perceive litlle or no head tightness.

Neal