Pitty Party

[marg]

Well,  I'm ready to start answering to the name Popeye .... for the last month  - when I eat my left eye closes and I can feel my eyelid pull when I talk too.  I went to the Bell's Palsy site and looked at exercises to try and get this over board reaction to stop....but feel like I am fighting a loosing battle.  The only places I could find that really know about skinesis and Facial Neuromuscular Retraining...were in Canada and Georgia. 

     Does anyone know of a place closer to South West Washington that can help with this???  I first notice a 'pulling' feeling about 5 weeks after I started teaching  full time and then it got worse and got to the eye close thing when I got Broncitus (sp?) and coughed for 2 weeks solid.  I know 'they' say to avoid excessive facial exercises at the beginning...(because this may cause skinesis) and I'm wondering if having to stand in front of my class and talk 6 1/2 hours a day has been excessive... and caused this Popeye problem.   I keep hoping that it will go away but I don't know what to do.
     Thanks for any help.
Margaret

[lori67]

There should be a list of places that specialize in facial PT on the Bell's Palsy website.  My PT here in Nashville mentioned it one day - I guess there was one PT intially in Wisconsin or someplace that really came up with the program - and then over the past few years, other PT's have gone to learn from her.  Those people should be listed on the site. 

I go in the next couple of weeks to my PT, so when I see her, I'll ask her if she knows anyone near you.

I have some mild synkinesis too and we're working on correcting it and keeping it from getting worse.  When I eat, the muscle that controls the bottom lip contracts and pulls it down, making it very difficult to keep food in my mouth.  When i try to blink, my cheek moves.  It is really annoying!   

Lori

[OMG16]

Are you in Southwest Washington State?  If that is the case you can call Harborview or the UW and talk to a nurse in the rehab department and they can direct you to someone closer to home.  If you can not find the number let me know and I will get Dr Jaffe's number at harborview for you.  He was my Son's inpatient and outpatient rehab Dr at Childrens and he is also at Harborview.  PM me and let me know since I am new to this (I sometimes have problems) and the msg will go to me if I'm home or working.  16

[Cheryl R]

My surgeon saiys it inevitable that one will get synkinesis so don't be too hard on yourself.    He also though says to chew gum and Jackie the FT says that is a no no.      I also have it again after my facial neuroma surgery.      The eye closing type.         I don't get as shook this 2nd time around.   It bothered me after the first surgery.
                                                  Cheryl  R

[DistressedDB]

Back to the party...I think the cruise idea is great!!  It may be the only time I feel like I AM balanced!  Other complaints are that I listen to the TV too loud...well DAHHH...I can't hear anything but ringing and an ocean sound...why not make the ocean sound real!?!?!  I just got back from a 2 week Caribbean cruise over the holidays with my son...we had a blast.

Think on this...you're with a group of people who talk as loud as you do, can't hear anything, act tipsy even when they aren't and appear like they are habitually winking at you...it sounds too good to pass up!

Hope there are rough seas...if I'm going to have Vertigo, I'd like to have earned it...

BTW...I'll bring Mango Margarita’s (one of my favorites) to go with all this good Mexican food being promised.

As for the Pity - I did find out Friday that the CK I had 2 years ago appears not to have worked...I'll know real change in size this week, but to the naked eye, there is a section that appears to be growing (looks to be much more than normal swelling).

[marg]

Thank you to :  Lori, 16,and Cheryl.  I will look into those areas and see what I can find.  It helps to have a direction to look.  I talked with an occupational theropist (at my aunt's nursing home)today and she said I should go to a speech therapist....but I don't see how that will help.
    Anyway,  I will check into this more after my daughter leaves for Sweden on Thursday ( lots of last minute things to do )

Anyone else who has an idea about this ...please do 

Thanks again AN family,
marg

[lori67]

Sometimes the speech therapist can do facial PT too.  I know there are a few where I go that do both speech and facial stuff.

Tell your daughter to have a nice trip to Sweden!
Lori