im officially a postie!

[madison]

well, my surgery was on monday the 18th. i came home friday. my surgery was 8 hrs. long..translab
excuse my typing as i am still wearing an eye patch. i have some facial weakness that should come back in time and i feel alot stronger.
i wish the right side of my tongue were not numb-it makes for very sloppy eating!i am hopeful that ev erything will return to normal-it's just a matter of how long it will take. if anyone knows of eye weakness,or post-op facial weakness, i'd love to hear your stories.i can only log on every once in a while, so please bear with me.i will be checking in though.  now i,m gonna go lay down, as everything is sooo exhausting!

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Madison ~

Welcome back and congratulations on entering 'postie-land'.    Thanks for making the effort to post.  Its appreciated.

Your facial weakness and tongue numbness issues should be temporary and the fatigue will abate, eventually.  Meanwhile, take it easy and try to envision being normal, again.  I did - and it helped (with some effort on my part, of course).  Remember, AN surgery recovery is usually measured in months, not days.  Time will pass quickly and soon you'll hardly recall these first few days, post-discharge.

Don't be concerned about posting.  We understand your limitations right now and we'll still be here when it's easier for you. 

Jim

[kixit]

So nice to have you back! Don't worry about posting. We've all been there, experienced that. Concentrate on your recovery.

 I had translab back in May but no facial issues. I'm still having balance issues but my docotr told me just today it will get better in the weeks to come (I think I've heard that before from the good folks on here).

Take care and REST!

[LizAN]

Yea!  Nice to hear from you, Madison.  Take it easy and don't worry about posting until you feel up to it again.  We can all rest easier knowing you came through okay and are on the mend.

Liz

[mindyandy]

Great to hear your home Madison. Sounds like you are doing great. Take it easy and recover. Somedays are easier than others but each day is one step closer to healing. Keep us posted.

Mindy

[It is what it is]

Congratulations for being on the other side of surgery. I'll look forward to reading about your recovery.  It must be frustrating and scary to begin with but it sounds like from our wonderfully helpful veterans, that healing continues to unfold over time.  I hope you are able to rest now. 

Karen

[Manders]

Hi Madison!

Congrats! You made it!! Isn't it wonderful to be on the other side?

As you probably know from my blog, I did have some issues with facial weakness after my translab. The right side of my tongue was numb and I could not taste on that side for about four weeks. Since my lips were also affected by my facial weakness, I was quite a sloppy eater for awhile. Lol But it will pass! Just be patient and try not to get frustrated with yourself. I would make jokes about it so that I wouldn't get too upset.

I'm in my seventh week now and my facial weakness is almost completely resolved. I'm just waiting on my right eye to jump on board. It still doesn't tear or lubricate normally, blinks slower than my left eye, and is still slightly wider than my left eye too. There's no set timeline on when everything will return to normal so it really is just a waiting game. I would suggest celebrating every little milestone you pass, no matter how small, to keep yourself positive and encouraged that you are recovering.

Thinking of and praying for you!

Manders

[lrobie]

Hi Madison,

It's good to hear your surgery went well.  Best wishes on your road to recovery.

Lisa

[Chances3]

Hi Madison,

The hard part is over, now it's all about healing.  I had a middle fossa approach, I had some facial weakness and my tongue was definitely numb.  My surgeons put me on steroids for 5 days, that helped.  As for the tongue, that took a few weeks.  It seems nothing out of the ordinary for you, just be patient.  My only advice - listen to your body, it's going to want to rest, so don't feel guilty about taking a nap, and if you can't get past 8:30-9:00 o'clock at night, tell your love ones, or your friends that are over - good nite !!

[mk]

Hi Madison,

Glad to hear that everything went well. Things will certainly get better from now on. Many of us have had the taste problem. I remember that after my surgery all liquids, even water, tasted strange. Coffee tasted like ash. It took a couple of months for the taste to be restored.
Eye problems are also very common. Make sure to protect your eye well (it seems that you are since you are using a patch), and use lots of drops/ointment. This should improve too.  The dryness may not resolve completely (my eye still does not tear properly, but at least it is not as dry as before.
Overall take it easy, give your body lots of time to heal.
Did the doctors say if your AN was more difficult to remove because it had been radiated before?

Marianna

[madison]

Hi everyone....I'm getting stronger each day..I thiNk I really. Surprised physical Therapy.I will be going to op therapy next week.  I scratched my eye..I guess because that side of my face is numb.I am using antibiotic drops and a patch still.  Other than that i feel good. I just have to be patient and hope that the numbness on the an side gets better.  The docs said it wasn't harder to remove my an due to having gk..just hard initially to find the tumor.
I'm so thankful for your prayers and knowing l can read your stories And that I have people who can relate to me.
My sister in law lent me her iPad so itts much easier to go on the forum now.  I just need to get that eye better and I'll be on here alot more.looking forward to all of your posts!

[It is what it is]

It's wonderful to hear you are doing so well in therapy.  Prayers continue for continued healing. 

Karen

[millie]

Madison-I prayed for all of us AN people today at church.  My husband also  had  serious surgery May 3 and I was told he would get stronger everyday, but it would take time, and each body heals at its own pace.  They were right. Time!  Carry on, brave girl!  Millie

[jaylogs]

Hi Madison!! Hey, you are doing absolutely fantastic here, so just keep on truckin!   Just keep up the good work, and keep us updated on how things are going! Take care!
Jay