was told to wait on facial exercises for 1 year post op.

[CROOKEDSMILE]

I WAS DOING EXERCISES WITH MY SPEECH PATHOLOGIST BUT JACKIE DIEHLS IN WISCONSIN SAID TO HOLD OFF AND THAT I JUST NEEDED TO DO HEAT AND MASSAGE FOR NOW. AT 1 YEAR POST OP WE WOULD START EXERCISES. SHE SAID TO LET IT REST LIKE A BROKEN BONE. SHE ALSO SAID THAT YOU CAN'T PREVENT SYNKINESIS YOU CAN ONLY TREAT IT ONCE IT OCCURS. SHE SAID YOU CAN'T INFLUENCE THE REDIRECTION  OF THE NERVES REGROWTH/REGENERATION BUT THAT YOU CAN TREAT THE IMPROPER MOVEMENTS WITH EXERCISES. I FEEL LIKE I AM BEING LAZY BY NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I DO HAVE MOVEMENT. I HAVE A SMALL SMILE, SMALL EYEBROW MOVEMENT.ETC. I AM DOING SOME OF THE EXERCISES ANYWAY BUT BEING CAREFUL TO NOT OVERDO THEM UNTIL I SEE JACKIE. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?
CROOKEDSMILE
I ALSO HAVE SOME SMALL PULLING UP OF MY MOUTH/CHEEK WHEN I TRY TO BLINK. I WILL SEE JACKIE IN JULY. CAN SHE REALLY HELP WITH THIS?

[Cheryl R]

You are not being lazy.   Facial muscle fibers are different than regular muscle fibers so they do not atrophy like a leg muscle might from lack of use.       The muscles aren't going to work until the nerve telling them to work  is healed enough to let the nerve impulses come thru.   
   what Jackie can do is not cure the synkinesis but help the muscles work in a better way to counteract it.       You may still have some.   Also as a victim of it,over time one gets used to it and you don't notice it as much.  This, of course,  depends on how yours is acting up and bothersome it is.
Jackie is a sweetheart and you will like her.                    Hang in there.  There might even be more improvement by the time you do make your  visit.             
                                                      Cheryl R