Hi Kim.
Does sound like it's been a rough year for you. Hopefully this one will be MUCH better!
I had the 7/12 also and was told not to expect any movement for about 6 months. I started to get my first little tiny movements at about 3 months (I'm probably the only one who noticed at that point). I'm about 2 1/2 years post op now and I'm still getting new movements. As you can see, it's a long and slow process and nerves heal when they're good and ready to. They don't seem to care what we want.
I would say that 6 months out is a pretty good estimate to start to see anything noticeable. And by that I don't mean you'll wake up one day and have a big toothy smile, but you'll notice more symmetry and just better tone. That's how it worked in my case. I have had to deal with some synkinesis (like my eye closing when I eat), but that's something that you can address if and when it happens.
I don't recall any weird symptoms during the healing process, but I still occasionally get little twinges that make me think the nerve is still trying to heal itself. I haven't been able to eat on that side since my AN surgery, so I can't really help with that question.
As far as moving your tongue around to get things to work, it's pretty much just trial and error - you have to try things to see what happens and figure out how things are wired now. It's good to do, but don't kill yourself at this point - if the nerve hasn't hooked itself up to the muscles yet, all you're going to do it get a tired tongue.
I hope this surgery works for you too. Keep your spirits up and be patient with yourself. If you want to talk, let me know. I can PM you my phone number or you can send me a PM.
Good luck and think positive thoughts!
Lori
