facial animation ?

[satman]

for those off you/us that had the "belles palsey" issue
 ,when you started to get facial animation back,what area came back first ?

[1wareagle]

My first movement came at 8 mts. It was a slight pulling from under my eye down to my upper lip. As the months passed I could do a closed mouth smile and now I can show my upper teeth in a smile. I still have NO movement in my lower lip and forehead. Dr. Brackmann sent me a letter the other day to let me know that these two areas seem to be the last to come back, and may never. I daily exercise my face hoping one day to see these areas move again. If not I am happy with what I have now.

Ellis

[nancyann]

Glad to read of your progress Ellis.    WHOOHOO!!!   Great news,   Nancy

[1wareagle]

Thanks Nancy!

      I hope my progress helps someone else know it can happen too for them but it takes time. I always enjoy reading your post. You are always so up beat and full of encouragement. For the lucky (or unlucky) one of us who fell into the 20% that have facial problems, it is refreshing to read post like yours! Don't stop!!!!

Ellis

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Yah - I agree. Nancy is our ANA facial recovery hero of the year... I find her spirit very inspiring.

4

[Samantha n Adrian]

SATMAN!!!!......welcome back!  It has been almost 6 months since my op and I’m starting to get facial movement back.  Mine started first with my bottom lip around 3 months.  It then happened slightly in my eyebrow.  Then you could start to see somewhat of a parenthesis around my mouth, which is much greater now.  Also…..under my bottom lip was a pretty considerable “sagâ€? that one person who I met at a party thought I had a dip in my mouth…..that sag is considerably less noticeable.  I can make a pretty nice close mouth smile, but can’t show my teeth yet.  Top lip is still not working…but better than before.

I have not been around the AN website much.  I’ve been very busy and by the end of the day of being on a computer all day…..answering tons of emails…and of course, solving the worlds more intricate problems (that was me trying to be funny!), I just don’t have the mental energy to post.

Satman…I have read some of your posts….I shamefully did not get to answer some of them…..but I’m glad to see you back and what seems to be, generally doing good!  Hope all is well.

Adrian

[Dan]

Hello everyone,
I didn't leave the forum just didn't have much time (energy) to respond, I read almost everyday what is going on just didn't have much to say.
After 3 weeks I started seeing movement in eyebrow.
At 4 weeks I started having movement from eyelid.
7th week I saw slight movement in the corner of my mouth and slight movement blink reflex.
4 months Post Op I could close my eye completely (stopped using eye cream), raise my eyebrow, drink out of a glass, and smile so that nobody could see the difference.   
Now at the end of 5 month Post Op, I can (with alot of concentration) wink with both eyes, smile normally, the blink reflex still dosen't close my eye completely but keeps my eye moist enough that I don't need cream.  I still can't whistle or blow up a balloon but I think that is also slowly coming back.
I'm very impaitent and had weeks where I saw no improvement so I have found alot of heros here on this sight, who stay upbeat even though thier improvement is much slower than mine.

Dan in Germany

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Wow everyone DOES heal differently from facial palsy

I got the parentheses around my mouth first at 5 months and 3 days (not that I was counting or anything)
The upper lip started to show teeth. (5 ½ months)
Then the eye lid started to work at full function (6 months)
I only have minimal movement in my eye brow … the eye brow moves ever so slightly but my forehead brow -not at all.
The bottom lip is still not moving. Opposite to Adrian – it does not sag but looks like I have a big fat lip when I talk… as it is SO tight.

I am showing some mild synkinesis and my eye partly winks when I chew … which has me cautious in restaurants as people get the idea I am winking at them.

I too cannot whistle … nor play the flute.

This facial palsy is such a SLOW recovery…

Dan and Adrian … it is so great to hear from you both again… and Super 8 … you are our super hero who cannot be compared to others since you do things in such a big way – you probably will need longer time to heal. Hang in there ole buddy.

4

[leapyrtwins]

Hello everyone,
I didn't leave the forum just didn't have much time (energy) to respond, I read almost everyday what is going on just didn't have much to say.
Dan in Germany

Dan -

so good to hear from you.  Just the other day I was reading some old posts and wondered how you were getting on post op.  It's nice to see that you are making progress.

Patience isn't one of my virtues either, so I can relate to your feelings of impatience    As you said, we are so lucky to have such upbeat people on this forum; it's very encouraging.

Best wishes,

Jan

[sgerrard]

I didn't catch this thread earlier.

A little bit of deja-vu all over again, or what ever that expression is. Satman, and Adrian, and Dan; it's like last summer and fall. Glad to hear from each of you, and about progress being made. Each marching to their own drummer; the key is to keep on marching.

Oh, and Ellis too, though I don't remember you, maybe you were before my time.

Jan and 4 and Nancy, you, like me, are just part of the furniture around here. 

Cheers to all,

Steve

[leapyrtwins]

Jan and 4 and Nancy, you, like me, are just part of the furniture around here. 

Cheers to all,

Steve

Hey, who are you calling a piece of furniture    LOL

Jan

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

I am the ole grandmother clock in the hallway- however my face (and hands) get sort of stuck before I make it to midnight… and this daylight savings stuff is for the youngin’s as I am NOT leaping ahead as I used to and there seemed to be a few springs loose… 

Ding Dong …

I guess some of us need some dusting we have been around so long.

Har Har Har 

Signed Furniture Item  #4
(Aka Grandmother Clock)