Facial paralysis one week after Retro Sigmoid

[dd]

I had retro sigmoind surgery one week agoand a expected facilal weakness.
I did  not anticipate full Bell's Palsy.

My biggest struggle is my eye weight. It is difficult getting it placed correct. I want to be able to blink suffucient to keep my eye moist. I find I cover it closed, so it won't dry up.
Has anyone had this and found the best way to attach the gold, so it closes the eye,, yet I can blink?

In the hospital They glued  the gold wright and taped over it.

Doctors say thr nerve is intact, but needs to regenrate.
I understand it could take many months.
I wouild love to hear some encouraing stories.

[saralynn143]

I tried the external weight for a while, but was never able to perfect its placement, so now I have an implanted weight. I still don't have a complete blink. The weights are designed to help the blink and to keep the eye closed at rest.

The best thing you can do for your eye is to keep it lubricated. For me, regular eye drops evaporate too quickly. I use a thin coat of Refresh PM gel on the eye round the clock. My vision in that eye is fuzzy, but my brain has learned to compensate so most of the time all is well. I don't like to drive at night though.

Best wishes,
Sara

[Tod]

I woke up with facial paralysis....but that was actually several days after surgery. It took several months, but I got a full blink back. I think it was within five months. I am nine months post, and I still don't produce tears on the left side, but I generally only have to put lubricant in at night.

Gels, particularly the severe daytime and the nighttime gells, were the only things that worked for me. But they did work.

-Tod

[nancyann]

Hi dd:  I'm sorry to hear you have bell's palsy, but very relieved to hear your nerve is intact !  My nerve was severed so I deal with facial paralysis daily. 
As already mentioned, the most important thing right now is keeping your cornea moist - I use Refresh PM lubricant round the clock,  & at night I wear the Niteye Bubble bandage made by Medtronic - it works like a greenhouse - before I bought these
I use to cut a piece of saran wrap & tape it all around the eye to have the same effect.
I suggest making an appt with your ophthalmogist - I see mine regularly to keep an eye on the cornea.
Continued healing my friend,  always good thoughts,  Nancy

[keithk]

dd

I had retro on August 19 and had facial weekness. I found it hard to dring fro a can or glass couldn't fully close my left eye. I would wear swimmming glasses when I would shower because my eye wasn't watertight. I saw my doctor on monday in prep for y BAHA implantment surgery, Which was on Wednesday. He checked my facial movement which is almost bakt to 100%, I still have a little weekness around the eyebrow.

Hang in there it will improve. I have learned that recovery from AN is a long road sometimes full of bumps and other times a smooth ride.

Good luck

Keith

[dd]

Thank you so much for encouraging words.
I will try the refresh drops.
I am scheduled Monday to have a weight inserted in my eyelid.

Hope all goes well.
DD

I am just learning how to work this program.
I read about difficulty drinking.
I have started putting straws in everything. It is a huge help.

[Angela R.]

I had facial weakness after my surgery on 6/30.  My eye wasn't blinking but it could close partially on demand.  I also couldn't move my mouth up in a smile or pucker, but it didn't droop.  Now the eye closes and blinks almost like normal - my husband and I are the only ones who notice that it is not quite normal yet.  My smile is back, but my pucker is still off.  I was really scared at first but it just started coming back slowly after a few weeks.

[Brewers7]

I had a weight implanted.  It was nice to be able to sleep without taping my eye shut.  After about six months, I had the weight removed. (not a big deal) I had returned to work and did not like being seen with a droopy eye.  (People would assume that I felt bad.)  I hoped that my eye was able to close enough and it does.  I do not have to tape it shut but I still have to use the ointment.

[swhite]

I am now 15 months post-op and at exactly 12-months post-op my opthomologist told me I could discontinue taping at night since my cornea was continuing to look good.  I, too, use PM refresh at night time and it works like a charm with oinment just a few times a day, along with Celluvisc gel drops.  I am finding having to use it more often now that cold weather is here.  I can fully blink, but it's at a slower pace than my normal eye.  I still don't tear.  My facial nerve wasn't severed,  but traumatized, so they tell me......remain hopeful and keep that eye lubricated!

[cakulmom]

I'm not quite 2 weeks out from retrosigmoid, but facial weakness has gotten worse since the surgery on Nov. 30, especially the eye.  I can't blink, can't close it.  I'm taping at night (and sometimes during the day because my eye is tired).  It doesn't feel like it's closing all the way anyway, even taped.  Using artificial tears during the day and lacrilube at night.  It's affecting my vision, because this was my "reading eye" (monovision).

My facial nerve was severely stretched during the surgery, and the doctors are saying this weakness should get better over time.  Over how much time is my question?  I need to work on a computer and rotary cut fabric (online fabric store) for a living, so this is going to impede my ability to run my business. 

Can anyone tell me how long I should wait before considering other options like a gold weight?  Revise my glass/contacts prescription, etc.?

The mouth doesn't function perfectly either--food falling out, etc.  That I can deal with. 

So like dd, can you share some encouraging stories?

[kraynok2]

I had translab on Nov. 16 with very slight mouth crookedness (is there such a word? lol).  Over Thanksgiving my eye could not wink, but I could close it and my mouth got a little worse.  But within the last week, they both are improving, my mouth the most.  I use eye drops when it feels scratchy and Lacrilube at night.  My doctor also gave me some exercises to start now.  I read earlier not to start exercises too soon, let the nerve start to heal.  I can now almost wink my eye all the way, although it still isn't like it was and still does not tear.  Everyone kept telling me to be patient, it was not that long after surgery.  Give it some time and be sure to rest. Sandy

[Cheryl R]

I wish we had the perfect answer for you about the face.     It also varies with each of us.     I do want to add that I hope you are using a heavy type drop in the day.      My favorite is Refresh Liquigel but there are others of the heavy drop type that work well.   I had no problem with ones with preservative but some do.           The face can vary from a couple weeks to several months.     The nerve just has to heal before the muscles work.     Facial muscles will not atrophy for a long time as they are different than other muscle fibers.         I know this is frustrating as have been thru it more twice.      Not what one was wanting to be happening.            Day by day!      Hang in there!                   Cheryl R

[vickee]

I woke up from surgery with facial paralysis on the AN  side.  Thankfully my doctors said my facially nerve was intact. I anticipated that that could be one of the outcomes of the surgery, so I kinda mentally prepared myself for it.  My eye only blinked half way and the blinking ratio was ~ 1(bad eye): 6(good eye).  I slept with lacrilube and taped my eye shut.  Within 2 months blink ratio improved and I was able to blink 75%.  As months went by, my eye began to improve and so did my facial tone.  I finally had facial movement at the 7 month mark when the corner of my mouth moved less then a millimeter.  I'm currently 14 months post surgery, my face is 70% back to normal.  I just got a punctal plugs to help get my eye lubricated.  I haven't used lacrilube in months.  I'm so sorry about your facial paralysis.  I know all to well the feeling of not feeling normal.  But be patient and keep positive attitude.  In time you'll start to be your normal self again.  Good luck on your recovery.  I hope its a speedy one.