Six months post-op - brief update, with question re reoccurring symptoms

[areles]

Hi.  Haven't been around for awhile, so a quick refresher and update:

My 23 year old son had translab at House with Drs. Miller and Schwartz on February 23 of this year, and had a second surgery on the 27th to repair a CSF leak.  The tumor was 2.8cm and totally removed, with protected facial nerve.

Despite suffering from post-op headaches and dizziness for the first few months post op, things started stabilizing by around the three month mark - no more dizziness, infrequent and manageable headaches, etc.  At this point he has resumed all normal activities other than surfing (but that's because he's working out so much he can't fit into his wetsuit - haha), and things have been great.

However, he just reported to me that for the past five or six days, he's been experiencing dizziness, vertigo, and blurred vision again, and is reporting that his left eye (surgery side) is "burning," implying slight paralysis.  I had him smile for me and noticed very slight weakness on the left.

I'm trying to figure out where I should be on the scale of "I'll make a call to the doc" and total freakout.  How common is it to experience a resurgence of post-op symptoms this late in the game, in others' experiences?

I've already emailed his PCP to beg for a referral to see Dr. Miller - and he's due for his six month post op MRI anyway - but again... just trying to figure out how awful this actually might be.

Any and all thoughts are welcome.

[UpstateNY]

areles,

I haven't seen other replies yet, so will offer my opinion.  I am just 6 months post translab and am due for my follow-up MRI shortly as well, so was thinking what I would do or think if it were me.

If the only symptoms were dizziness/vertigo only, I would think it was unrelated to the AN or coming from the other side, since the vestibular nerve on the AN side gets cut during surgery.  However, since you mention blurred/burning vision that sounds a bit more suspicious.  It could be unrelated to the AN or not.  I had specifically asked my physician at the House during my post-op appt if I could expect facial weakness several months out.  He said such issues typically occur in the first couple of weeks post surgery, so it would be highly unlikely.  He didn't say it was impossible. 

I believe you have good reason to speak with Dr. Miller as soon as you can.   The House has physicians on call over the weekend in case you would like to get their opinion before Monday.

[robertweeks]

I would say not to panic, but do follow up on it with Dr. Miller.  I am about 14 months post-translab from House Clinic.  I still have symptoms involving facial nerve paralysis and other symptoms stemming (no pun intended, but willingly accepted) from the AN surgery.  Somewhere in the 6 or 7 month timeframe my eye behavior switched dramatically from being stuck open to wanting to close all the time and from being too dry to being always weepy.  The doctors at House Clinic advised me that this is normal for a subset of patients and should eventually resolve itself.  Mine has not yet resolved, and others on this forum have said it took them years, but it was not an indication of something alarming going on.  But definitely do check in with the doctor on it. 

[v357139]

You definitely need to talk to Dr Miller.  You might also have him slow down on the working out.  The body needs a lot of time to heal.  I have seen cases where people tried to come back too soon, and then had setbacks.  Even a successful surgery is a major trauma to body and brain.  Calling Dr Miller is most important.  But also encourage him to get lots of rest, and don't overdo working out.  If the eye is burning, you might also have it checked out by an ophthalmologist to make sure its not dry eye.  If its dry eye, he needs to keep it lubricated with drops.

Let us know what Dr Miller says.

[rupert]

Probably doing too much too soon.  Rest is an important part of the healing process and it's important to get much more rest than you think you need.  Hard to tell your mind that,  especially when you're young.