Facial Nerves

[rabbo]

Hi Dave here from Australia, can anyone tell me that when and if the facial nerves start to come back, is it a gradual thing or do you just wake up one morning and your eye just starts to blink, I've been three weeks post op still no sign of any change, getting worried my surgen was confident that it would come back,he did say that the nerves were stretched and very thin, any help would be greatly appeciated. Thanks David.

[Boppie]

My eye started blinking down about half way for a few days and then more and more.  It wasn't sudden.  At two weeks I could feel the lid moving a little bit.  By 6 weeks the lid was going all the way down.  So I'd say the progression took four weeks.

I kept the lube in it until I noticed a bit of moisture floating on the tear duct area and the lid was blinking all the way down. 
When the lid started to go down half way I began some simple exercises of opening and closing my eyes in rapid sucession, sort of a blinking exercise.  If you push too hard you will might get spasms in the eye orbit.  Don't want that.  It will come. 

Keep up warm eye soaks with a wash rag in the mornings to cleanse and relax the muscles.

[amymeri]

Hi David

Although I had full nerve strength after surgery for 2 days, my face became paralyzed and it continues to be 12 weeks later.  This week I noticed a tiny bit of mouth improvement but nothing in my eyes.  Recovery can take more than a year for some, and for others it happens quickly.  I don't know that anyone can predict how fast, but if the nerve was intact after surgery, then you should heal.  I hope its quick for you.  The eye care is a full time job!

Amy