More questions about what to normally expect

[JDJ925]

Just curious whether anyone experienced something similar to these post-op symptoms:

About a week post-op, I started experiencing numbness/tingling in the tips of the ring fingers and pinkies of both hands. The surgeon’s P.A. said it was likely due to the fact that I have been spending a lot of time either sitting in an armchair or sitting up in bed with my elbows resting in a bent position. She said this can affect the nerve function.

Another thing is a feeling of physical exhaustion. As time goes by, I’m finding it harder to get up in the morning, I want to take more naps during the day, and I want to go to bed earlier. A week ago, my wife and I started taking walks around the neighborhood for 20-30 minutes. I was expecting to start gaining strength, but the opposite seems to be happening. By yesterday, I almost had to stop and take a rest before I had made it through a 20-minute walk.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

[Battyp]

JD Good to hear from you!  Yes that sounds normal to me as I've gone through the same thing.  I will be sitting there watching tv and my hands will start to tingle like they are going to sleep.  I also noticed when I was driving a long distance my  hands kept going numb.  I guessed it was from the death grip I had on the steering wheel at that time.  I'm also bone tired. I'm 7 mos out and still need a nap and get cranky when I don't get one.  I'm doing intense therapy right now to try to build my strength up but in my opinion it doesn't seem to be working. I was told by my therapist and read it online that because it takes so much effort for your vestibular to compensate you tire more easy as what your wife can do in 10 mins it takes you more like 20 in effort.  With time some of it does get better.  I'm not sure about the tingly stuff as I'm still having it.  I do know that I'm still tired but not as tired as I was in the beginnig.

Hug your wife and kids for us!
Michelle

[HeadCase2]

JD,
  I can't answer about tingling fingers, since I haven't experienced that.
  The tiredness is normal.  I think part of that is vestibular retraining,  after one vestibular nerve is lost from surgery or radiation damage.  The brain seems to use a lot more energy during vestibular retraining.  I found that when I first started going out for walks,  I needed a nap shortly thereafter.  I think it's part of the relearning process.  The brain gets overloaded and then needs a nap to work through the sensory overload.
  Give it some time, it gets better.
Regards,
 Rob

[Captain Deb]

JD
Glad you are out walking!  Walk as much as you can and for goodness sakes, SLEEP as much as you can!  A lot of the exhaustion is from the anesthesia.  You don't just go to sleep from the anesthesia--I think I would wake up if someone started to drill into my skull!  I takes time for the body to de-tox.  I'm 3 years post-op and still need 9-10 and sometimes 11 hours as opposed to my 7-8 I needed pre-op.
The rest of the exhaustion is from the physical trauma of the surgery and your other systems over-compensating for the loss of vestibular function.  Every muscle in your body is readjusting and working overtime whan you walk. I found that if it was really wearing me out, I took shorter walks more often.  I wouldn't worry about the tingles right now, but if they persist or get worse, I'd check with the doc.

Keep walking and sleeping!
Capt Deb

[Boppie]

I would agree with the others about the need for rest.  You are just three weeks post-op.  You will benefit from a nap for a couple of months more at least.  Twenty minute walks might be too long.  Take frequent, short walks.  You are not working for cardiovascular strength.  You are challenging the remaining vestibular nerve in progressively more difficult sessions or tasks.

I had numbness and spasms in my elbows post op.  I couldn't understand the pain but a heating pad and manual massage helped smooth it out.  This lasted for several weeks.  I have since decided the elbow problem was related to sleeping propped up with my elbows down/hands on my belly and having the blood pool to the lowest part of my torso.

We sure have some strange issues that we don't even mention until somebody else brings it up.

[SKT]

All sounds very normal to me. Don't worry about it - your body will do lots of funny things for a while.  YOu are doing great.  You may find you will get a little bit worse before you get better.  All normal.  Just keep walking and sleeping - everything will recover if you do enough of both.

[DeniseSmith]

Sounds normal to me, too.

I am 10 months post op and am just starting to get my hot/cold sensation back in my right hand.  Still nothing for the rest of my right side.  I also still feel no pain on my right side.    My surgeon said during surgery,I suffered a brain stem insult, and that is why my right side has no hot/cold sensation and pain sensation. It is wierd, but i am used to it now.

I see you recently completed your surgery.  The fact that you can even walk 20 minutes without taking a break is amazing to me.  I  couldn't walk at all right after my surgery.  I was using a walker then a cane and around Sept/Oct I was finally able to walk on my own.  My balance is getting better since i rejoined the Y and use the treadmill.  However,  I agree with everyone else, you must pace yourself, and don't overdue it.  Shorter walks, more often should help.

Good luck in your recovery, and may you have continued sucess!!

Denise