Balance after 16 months

[wcrimi]

I had normal balance before surgery. My balance improved very slowly for the first 12 months or so post op, but over the last 4 months or so I don't think I've experienced much, if any improvement.  (Nothing tangible at least).  Of course I have been much less active because of the winter weather so perhaps that slowed the progress (at least that's what I'm hoping).

I would say close to 100% of the time I feel normal when sitting or lying down. 

90% of the time I feel normal when standing still and 10% of the time a feel a slight waviness in my head and lack of clarity similar to the first few minutes when you just wake up and get out of bed. 

I rarely feel normal when walking or running. I feel a slight waviness in my head. The intensity is very diminished now than it was in the past, but it's still there.  The intensity also varies depending on how tired I am. Lack of sleep or high stress work tends to make it worse, but I seem to recover quicker than I used to from that. That's probably the one improvement I've notice lately.   

I almost never lose my balance under normal conditions UNLESS I turn my head quickly or look up while I'm walking/running. Then I will usually have a small stagger step or two before I regain control.

I have two questions:

Does this sound familiar to other surgery patients at around the 16 month point (give or take)?

Has anyone experienced further improvement after the 16 month point?


   

[Jim Scott]

I have two questions:

Does this sound familiar to other surgery patients at around the 16 month point (give or take)?

Has anyone experienced further improvement after the 16 month point?

Wayne ~

Your balance recovery scenario does sound rather familiar, at least to me.  

Yes, my balance improved after 16 months and now, at almost 4 years post-op, I consider my balance to be approximately 85-90% of normal.  Like you, I never experience balance issues in my normal routine but the 'waviness' does occur under somewhat stressful conditions, although it's slight and doesn't negatively impact my life.  On the rare occasion when I stumble, it's harder to regain my balance without grabbing something to steady myself, but this happens so infrequently as to be inconsequential.  I can walk briskly up or down a staircase without needing to grasp the handrail.  Walking on uneven surfaces slows me down a bit but isn't a real problem.  Quick head turns aren't a problem either.

This is just a supposition, not a guarantee but I would submit that, with time and practice, your equilibrium will probably improve.  

Never accept the status quo.  

Jim

[CHD63]

This sounds very familiar ..... and yes, you can still expect further improvement.  However, to be perfectly honest, at 24 months out I still have good days and bad days, depending upon fatigue, stress, etc.  I have been much less physically active this winter and I think there is a direct correlation with more wobbly days.  Bright snow has been a problem outside, plus the sloppy terrain has made walking outdoors not safe for me.  Spring is almost here!!  We shall persevere!!

Clarice

[Syl]

Wayne:

I feel the waviness you mention when I walk and when I move my head from left to right. I haven't noticed any improvement since before my 1 year mark. I do notice that if I'm less active than normal, I feel more wonky-headed.

I wear glasses most of the time, but I noticed that when I wear contacts, the waviness and wonky-headedness is diminished. Unfortunately, my eyes dry up too much with contacts, so I think I'm stuck with glasses. I'm considering lasik surgery for that reason.

Syl

[Lizard]

The docs always tell me to challenge yourself, supposedly this helps to retrain you.  Hope this starts improving again.
I also struggle with bouts of dizziness and the "waviness"
Liz

[wendysig]

Hi Wayne,

Your symptoms sound very familiar -- maybe we're twins!    Seriously though, I do have the same problems.  I recently started taking an aerobics class and cannot describe how ungraceful I am.  Since my doc told me on many occasions anything that challenges the vestibular system strengthens it, I have high hopes this class will be a big help if I can keep it up.  It is definitely a huge challenge where balance is concerned.

Wendy

[Debbi]

Yes, Wayne - it all sounds familiar, like I could've written it myself.    I am looking forward to getting out and walking more now that the weather is getting better and believe it will help, at least a little.  Hint - don't ever look elsewhere when you are navigating stairs!  The worst fall I've had was when I stopped looking at my feet while going downstairs.  Valuable lesson...

Debbi