Is this normal?

[madison]

Hi!! It has been about 2 1/2  months since my translab surgery.  I feel great and I'm back to work.
Sometimes my eye gives me trouble if the air is really dry so I put drops in. Some days I feel a little off..kind of lightheaded, but not bad. I find if I'm driving or at the mall if I wear my sunglasses I feel a little better. It's kinda hard( and strange looking) to shop with sunglasses on. I just wondered if anyone else experienced any eye issues or focus problems this far after surgery. I was thinking it may have to do with the facial paralysis. I just wanna see and feel normal again. I'd be really grateful if you could share any info you have on this issue. Thanks:)

[HeidiC]

I had left sided facial paralysis following my surgery that resolved itself after a couple of months.  I still have slight paralysis but you can't tell unless you are looking for it.  The left side of my tongue is still numb.  I still don't make tears in my left eye-maybe that is why you need drops often.  I don't usually notice the no tears on the left side issue except when I watch a sad movie or something and I only cry from my right eye...its a really weird feeling!

The focus problems were an issue for me as well, though not so much now.   I find it hard to describe, others may do better, but I will try!  Because of the loss of my balance nerve when I walk or move everything seems to be almost bouncing and is out of focus-even when just moving my head to look at things.  For example, I like candles....so when I go to the Yankee Candle store I can't just scan the shelves to look at the scents because I miss a lot-its blurry.  I have to focus on each jar to find out its scent name and see if I want to try it out-because what I am focusing on is what is clear, everything around it is blurry to some degree.   I am about a year out from my surgery and its not nearly as bad as that now, but thats how it was at first.  I can have bad days when it is stormy out(from the pressure) if I have a cold, if I have done too much and am overtired, and sometimes for unknown reasons-maybe from fluid in my ears or something.

Of course, these are just my experiences, yours may be different!  I hope I helped.

~Heidi

[geexploitation]

In what ways does your eye "give you trouble" that causes you to use drops? Since having surgery I have sometimes felt a little weirdness (very specific and articulate, I know) in my surgery-side eye. I've sometimes wondered if it's due to dry air or what. Just curious...

[mk]

I can relate to the weird feeling, especially in stores, for quite a few months after my surgery.
 It is hard to describe, but I found that it was worse in stores with narrow aisles and tall shelves. And in stores with patterned tiles on the floor ... I don't know if this makes sense. I felt the urge to squint my eyes trying to avoid this feeling. Now that I think about it, it has been much better recently (but I am 18 months post surgery). It probably has something to do with the lack of the balance nerve. The eye dryness doesn't help either. My eye does not produce tears. I found that making sure that it is moist, helped somewhat.

The trouble focusing was more specific, I had it before the surgery, and for a few weeks after. My surgeon told me that the tumor was affecting the 6th nerve, which controls the eye muscles, so this is probably the explanation for the trouble focusing.

Marianna

[madison]

In response to the question "what kind of trouble?" I guess sometimes I feel like there's something in there and I have to squint or sometimes it's kinda like walking through a smoky or hazy room. I think I need to lubricate more often. I noticed that when I use my genteal  gel, I can't see well for about 15 minutes because of all that gel, but then I'm ok. It seems to work better than the drops..probably because I'm not good at putting them in!
I hope I start feeling more normal... My balance wasn't supposed to be affected much since I had the tumor for awhile and gk and all. Maybe I am experiencing some though. Thanks everybody! It really helps to read all of your experiences because although the surgeons know their skill so well, I don't think they know so much about what we all experience. I think you have to go through it to really truly know.

[geexploitation]

Thanks, Madison. That sounds a bit similar to what I feel sometimes. I've noticed it getting worse recently as the pollen count where I live has picked up, so I assume allergies don't help.

[jazzfunkanne]

are you using drops for the eye (dry eye drops) am the same i wear sunglasses most of the time.  and like you can feel wooly light headed if my eye is over exposed , x