Chris is Home !

[chrissmom]

Hi All...
 He's finally home.  After spending the whole summer in the hospital, he is finally home.  He has already started networking with his friends...gettin' back to normal.  He still has outpatient therapy to attend but he is walking pretty good and balance is improving.


1. He's not moving his head much when he walks.  Is he just concentrating on the walk?  Does that improve ?  Arms are still drawn up too (no swing yet).

2.  Smile is still crooked.  We're probably headed for anastomosis.

3.  I don't want to compare MRI's but his was right up there with Nate and Crazycat !  5+ cm...ouch.

4.  Headaches are rare. Hope it stays that way.

5.  What kind of hearing aid to you all use ? 

Good to see Pearly Cruise director back.

Now that Chris is getting better, I think I'll tell him to post soon.

[Survival Nate]

Great news...

Hey wont move his head for awhile but im sure he will, itspry from the stiches.

I Have a Post about the Croslink Hearing Aid I just got mine yesterday and doing reguler updates, pictures and all, its in post op section

 
   Nate

[Gennysmom]

Yea, Chris is home!!!!  Good for him!!!  Being at home makes all the difference in the world for recovery!

In my opinion, he's walking that way because he's working on just balancing to stay upright.  Part of rehab walking is getting out there and walking and turning your head left and right...the more you do that, the faster it comes back.  Walking in a store with a grocery cart, or hanging on to a treadmill is great for that.  Walking in crowds with no assistance is very hard for me.  

How was his smile coming out of surgery?  Did they tell you what percent of the facial nerve was still working?  That should help the decision on anastomosis...I'm almost 2 months out, my face is still down, but it's expected to come back...some others take longer than that, but if it was working coming out of surgery, there's a good chance it will come back.  

Good luck guys!  

Kathleen

[Obita]

Great news!!  The moving head, swinging arms takes time.  It comes back slowly as does the balance. It sounds like the carefull walk,  I did that myself.  Kathy

[chrissmom]

The facial nerve is intact but stretched very thin due to the large tumor.  At times his face looks pretty good but when he's fatigued, it droops bad. The doctors want to do anastomosis. The gold weight is helping his eye and you can't tell he has it.   I was hoping for the miracle facial nerve come back.  He's already been thru too much.

[Crazycat]

Well get him on line so we can talk to him!!

   Paul

[chelsmom]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
I know it's been a long summer.  I'm so glad you all finally made it home.  Tell him we have been thinking about him. Chelsea keeps asking "heard anything on Chris"?   Maybe someday he and Chelsea can get online and do an old fashion show and tell of 'What did you do over the summer'?

How are his spirits???  Also, what type of surgery did he have?
About the walking....When Chelsea was in re-hab and since, she too does not want to move her head and arms or look up much.  She said it hurt her head.  Her neck and upper back are really stiff and a little swollen on the right side (AN side).  We were told that it is a matter of time before she will be walking normally again.

We are still here at the hospital.  Chels made it home for a couple of days before we had to return due to shunt failure.  We hope to be going home in the next few days.  We are keeping our fingers crossed.
Give Chris a big smooch and hug from us and a squeeze to you and your husband.

We'll be thinking of you all....Michelle   

[Battyp]

YEAH CHRIS!  Glad he's home!  It will take some time to walk and turn his head.  Like Genny'smom said walking with a shoping cart is good therapy, frustrating, daunting, exhausting but it does give you something to hold on to while you practice.  Walking on the treadmill helps too.  I also marched on a trampoline with a bar which allowed me to  hold on which helped.  I hated it all but it does help!  I still have trouble turning my head while walking due to the balance issue but I can at least appear normal while walking if I think about it.  When I'm tired my symtpoms get worse.  My mom can talk to me on the phone and tell me I'm tired.  That's when mom says..go take a nap ) 

Hugs to you all!! 

[Joef]

>>>1. He's not moving his head much when he walks.  Is he just concentrating on the walk?  Does that improve ?  Arms are still drawn up too (no swing yet).

   Try walking with him as much as possible, I started with just a walk around the house each day and with happy with that, then started to walk a few houses up .. and SLOWLY worked my way up .. keep in mind this did take me a few months! and try to keep his arms out! I just got back from vacation in Rome! .. and had my surgery one year ago! .. walking with my hands in my pockets (my wife was shopping) on dark streets and started to get off balance .. took my hands out of my pockets and did not look at my feet at all .. and it REALLY helped!!

>>>>2.  Smile is still crooked.  We're probably headed for anastomosis.

  I am ONE year out now, and my smile is still crooked ..everyone is different in the recovery process .. I have never been a fast healer ... every as a kid .. it seemed that cuts and burses would last too long .. I suspect this will be no different!!!  but have been starting to get some more "zaps" and pains in my cheek so I assume this is good...

>>>>4.  Headaches are rare. Hope it stays that way.

   It should .. If he has gone this far without head pain .. it should stay that way!!!

>>>>5.  What kind of hearing aid to you all use ? 

  most do not have a HA .. but I have a BAHA and there is the CROS HA


Getting home is the first step in recovery!! Welcome back!!

[Pembo]

Welcome Home to Chris.

I didn't move my neck much and my ot started massaging it and loosening it up. He may need a little tlc to relax those muscles a bit.

Headaches are very rare for me. I get a little sinus one on the AN side only when the weather changes. Just a little Tylenol and I'm good to go.

I have a BAHA and I love it.

Best of luck to Chris and family.

[wind6]

Congrats Chris!!! So happy he is finally home. I agree completely with the shopping cart walk. That helped me more than anything else. Another plus for me was that my practice walking wasnt so noticable to strangers while I was pushing a cart.
Just over a year since my surgery and I still struggle when trying to get through crowds or when I have to step over/around objects but I'm making progress....
Give Chris a hug for me too.