A few questions about 12/7 graft

[Suu]

Hello wonderful people
I have full left facial palsy and the docs wants to try this procedure to cheer me up 
I haven't got a date for mine yet but figuring it to be in the next couple of months.

How scary is the first few weeks after having a 12/7 graft?
How long in hospital?
Is there much pain?
How long did it take to get any sort of movement?
Are you ever able to smile with your teeth showing? (big smile)
Can you laugh without looking like some weird act from a circus?
Do the people around you know that you are using your tongue to smile? Is it obvious?
And do you have to use your tongue forever to achieve a smile?

Kind wishes to all
Suu

[Kaybo]

quick answers:

not
1 day
not for me - but I don't feel that side!!
long time but less than 1 year
no teeth!  (
don't know - can't see  myself!
no - NOT obvious
yes - until I had the T3

K 
*answers influenced by little wine*

[moe]

Suu,
Here's my answers. LORI will hopefully "jump on the bandwagon" with her answers.

1.
How scary is the first few weeks after having a 12/7 graft?   
It wasn't! I had an incision along the side of my neck which they tried to blend in with a skin crease. I was walking and doing my normal business....

2.How long in hospital?
Overnight. They took the drain out of the side of the neck the next morning and sent me home. Depending on the drainage, you may stay an extra day....

3.Is there much pain?
I can't recall much pain at all. This surgery, for me, was THE EASIEST of all my multiple surgeries

4.How long did it take to get any sort of movement?
Umm, some upper cheek movement for me, but basically, and unfortunately I had "marginal" results. My situation is complex though. The facial nerve branches were affected too much with the original tumor......YOU should have better results...

5.Are you ever able to smile with your teeth showing? (big smile)

Probably not. Closed lip is nice though, you get used to it.

6.Can you laugh without looking like some weird act from a circus?
Yes you can laugh and you may still look like a little weird. All about the "new" you.

7.Do the people around you know that you are using your tongue to smile? Is it obvious?
Since I had marginal results, never did get to try that! Sorry....

8.Do the people around you know that you are using your tongue to smile? Is it obvious?
Can't answer that one either.

Good luck with the 12/7! Give it a good 18 months ( I know that sounds forever, but I waited that long) and if the results aren't good, there's always other options....
Maureen

[lori67]

Here I am! 

I was in the hospital overnight, but I had my surgery mid-afternoon.  My doctor told me that if I'd had it first thing in the morning and I didn't have much drainage, I could have gone home that night.  I don't recall having much pain.  Maybe discomfort would describe it better, but since I don't remember, it probably wasn't too bad.

I didn't find it scary either before or after.  My incision is very well hidden and I came home with the dissolvable stitches and steri-strips.  Since my hair is about shoulder length, you really couldn't even notice it.  I took it easy the first couple of days, but then I was back to my usual routine.

I started to get little movements around 3 months, but I was told not to expect anything until 6 months.  I'm at almost 2 1/2 years now and I'm still seeing improvements.  I don't have a big, toothy smile, but like Moe said, a closed mouth smile is just fine with me.  I don't know what I look like when I laugh, to be honest with you, but I don't think I look and more weird than usual!     I guess I'll have to go look in the mirror and tell myself a joke.

No one can tell my tongue is moving when I smile, and really, after a while, you don't notice it either.  It just becomes a natural thing to do and you don't think about it.  It's not like you have to stick it all the way out and touch your nose with it - all I have to do is put the tip of my tongue against the back of my front teeth - it's a very subtle movement.

Don't worry too much about it.  Think positive! 
Lori

[Suu]

Thanks everyone.
I like to have as much information as possible so there are no shocks 
I have no doubt that any questions in the future will be answered with or without the help of wine LMBO

Love to you all
♥ ´)
.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•♥ ¨)
(,.•´ (.♥ •´ *Suu

[Suu]

I have a date!  16th of June - less than 3 weeks.

I'm also having a 'sling' put in.  Although I haven't read up about this yet, I'm sure it's to bring my face up? Am I right?    Will this cause anything to change from the original questions I asked here?

My doctor rang me himself (very unusual over here for a doc to do this so I feel rather special  ) and asked if I was ready to smile yet?  The last nerve conduction study (NCS), which were done on Monday 23rd, all came back negative for messages getting to the facial nerve again.

So my bag is packed and I'm ready to begin yet another new kind of normal.

Hubby has booked us on a cruise!! We go for a 3 week holiday on the 16th of November around New Zealand.  I hope to be mona-smiling my guts out by then! 

Love and best wishes to all,

♥ ´)
.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•♥ ¨)
(,.•´ (.♥ •´ *Suu

[moe]

Hi Suu,
Good news that you get to move forward to get the 12/7. Don't know much about the "sling" I would imagine it would help to bring that side up, as you said, and then the 12/7 will hopefully add the movement.
But it will take months of course for the 12/7 to start showing results, and as Lori said, she continues to see improvement.
Keep the faith, it is a long road, I know!
That is so cool about the holiday to New Zealand. Wow. I'm heading out for an Alaskan inner passage cruise this week with 3 of my sisters for my 50th birthday, so gotta run
Maureen

[kim508]

God luck I starting to get movment and its been 6 mounths but people have notice with the tone and im def happy with that..goood luck

[Suu]

Maureen - Happy cruising and will send a special greeting in the other part of the site for you. 
I was kind of hoping for immediate results but deep down, after reading here, I know that it's time I've got to be patient for.  I will do everything that the doc recommends to get that lip working!
I'm looking around the site again (so what's new?  ) and will have a read of Lori's posts first.

Kim - That's very good news about your face moving at 6 months.  Please let us know more as you recover?

Thanks for all the help,

♥ ´)
.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•♥ ¨)
(,.•´ (.♥ •´ *Suu xxoo

[jockieau]

Good luck Suujoy - you are a real trooper! I hope the surgery goes well and that you come out with flying colours! I'm sure you will!

[Suu]

UPDATE:

As you know dear Constant Reader...

I had a 4cm Acoustic Neuroma taken out of the left side of my head last August and was in hospital for weeks while they tried to stop CSF leaks.
My facial nerve had been stretched straight over the top of the AN and, although it was left intact, the stretching seemed to have caused irreversible facial palsy (drooping of the left side of the face from eye to mouth) and also left me with permanent left side deafness.

I was to have a 12/7 nerve graft done next week after nerve conduction studies showed that no messages at all were getting to the facial nerve. 
I am also to have a 'sling' made from a tendon in my leg and put into my face to lift it so it's at least symetrical.

Today was my pre-op check with ENT surgeon, Dr Robert Eisenberg.

Dr Rob saw movement in my cheek!!!!
 
I’m still having the sling put in to lift my face back up but the facial nerve looks like it may – just may – be coming back.   He explained that it takes around 1mm a month for healing of the stretched bit and it was pretty darn stretched. I was scared about waiting the extra 6 months for the 12/7 graft but he assured me that the op can be done within 18mths to 2yrs

So…. I get to still have my face rearranged so I can go on the cruise with a lot more gusto and self-image, and I don’t mind waiting the couple of months more to see if I am going to be fully (ab) normal again by the new year.

[ppearl214]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!  FAB news!!!!!!!!!!  You know the mantra.... "day by day, inch by inch (or in this case... mm by mm....), but all the same....... time is helping to do the trick! Hang in there!

Phyl

[Kaybo]

This is INCREDIBLE news!! I'm so excited for you!  But I don't understand why they would still do the sling if there is a chance it could come back on it's own...a sling doesn't sound reversible...

K 

*doing the happy dance with you!*

[Jim Scott]

Suu ~

Fantastic good news!  Congratulations! 

Jim

[Suu]

  But I don't understand why they would still do the sling if there is a chance it could come back on it's own...a sling doesn't sound reversible...

Hi Kabo - the sling is reverible although it may not need to be reversed.  My muscles have wasted away and he's opted to do the following -

Static facial slings lift the midfacial region to a more neutral position, but are immobile, or static.  In these cases, the face does not move, but does appear more natural as the corner of the mouth and nasolabial fold (the fold from the corner of the mouth to the nose) are restored.  Surgically, there are several variations, the essential idea is that a material (tissue from my leg) is used to 'sling' the corner of the mouth and nasolabial fold into a more neutral position.

I still can't credit that the 2 nerve conduction tests showed nothing, but I'm extremely happy that they may have been wrong.  Even if there is the slightest chance of nerve regeneration I've got the time to wait.

After this op it will take around 6 weeks for my face to settle down with the swelling all gone.  I'm going to suck in my breath and take before, during, and after pics this time.

Just goes to show us that there's is always hope! 

Bestest wishes,

♥ ´)
.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•♥ ¨)
(,.•´ (.♥ •´ *Suu xxoo