WOW I can see now! Temporary exterior eye weight update

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

I have been blinded for 6 weeks since my surgery in my AN side eye. I was mentally prepared to accept the one sided deafness, in the AN journey, however the temporary ‘vision loss’ due to the inability to blink in my facial palsy side eye- “blind sightedâ€? me off guard. (Sorry punny AN patient  humor there). My AN surgery team and my OHSU Casey Eye Institute  follow up team seem to be convinced that my eye will eventually work again – since it was working for 2 days post  surgery before it stopped blinking …and I got into major eye pain troubles.

Up until now I have had to use ewe gooey ointment plus a dark patch moisture chamber gizmo - taped to my face (arby dar – sporting the pirate look and Halloween is not quite here yet)

The “eye guy�
http://www.ohsu.edu/health/meet-our-staff/doctors/doctor.cfm?id=11302
felt that it was too early to surgically insert a gold eye weight . He felt optimistic that eventually my eye might blink and close on its own … and why subject myself to more surgery. (I need more surgery “like I need another hole in the head� – sorry a little craniotomy humor there)



Yesterday I bought an external eye weight (ordered through my “eye guy�)
http://www.fci-ophthalmics.com/external_eyelid_weights.htm
It was $250.00 (Whether my insurance company reimburses me remains to be seen)

Within 24 hours of having the eyelid  “windshield wiperedâ€? away the gooey ointment because it can finally open and close - I CAN NOW SEE! (Not as clearly as before surgery but hey I am only at 6 weeks at post op with some swelling still). It is amazing how much my balance has improved now that I have 2 eyes to see out of. The weight is fiddly and my husband has to help me with sticking it on. I am worried it may fall off in a most inconvenient place and I will loose $250 down the drain or on  a country gravel road somewhere- never to be found again … BUT I THINK THIS WAS WORTH IT. (Hey I know some women who spend that much on their hair, nails and a pedicure)

Thanks Jeff – for encouraging me to go get an eye weight.

Keep moving forward


“4�

[linny]

Hey great  the eye  weight will help it has helped me. Except now with the botox and my eye opening more the dry eye is coming back.    but alittle drops and new agaion for awhile.  Im Happy for you take care.

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Almost 6 months later update here…

Well I have gone 2 days without the double side sticky tape weight and it appears the decision to wait (weight ha ha    ) this out without having one surgically implanted was a good one… as I no longer need it and the eyelid is closing and blinking just fine now without any assistance.

I would say this temporary eye weight was a good option and I wanted to share that with other AN’ers – being that I was sort of a guinea pig trying this thing out.

It appears my eye has returned to normal…

Cheers,

4

[CROOKEDSMILE]

WHEN EYELID FUNCTION RETURNS IS IT SLOW LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE? I WENT FROM EYE WIDE OPEN AND IT WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL TO LOOKING NORMAL THEN WOULD CLOSE ON SOME DAYS AND NOT ON OTHERS. SOME DAYS I COULD CLOSE IT ALL THE WAY. I COULD CLOSE BUT NOT BLINK IT. IS THIS THE USUAL PROGRESSION?

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Well gee I don’t know. I was doing facial exercises as the synkinesis was so obvious with the eye weight going up and down when I made a chewing action. I said to myself…â€?MMM I wonder how bad this looks without the eye weight? Hey look I am blinking all on my own without the weight- well look at that.  :)â€? I have not stuck the eye weight back on since that day. I may have worn the weight unnecessary for a few days (maybe even weeks) without realizing it. My synkinesis has not gone away but is much less obvious now the eye weight is off the eyelid.

I discovered that I no longer need the weight sort of by fluke … so I am not sure how the healing all progressed. Hopefully others may pipe up with a more clear answer to your question.

Cheers,
 4.