How do you know when your facial nerve is coming back? How does it feel?
I had my 5cm AN taken out via endoscope @ SBI. see thread under microsurgical.
Integrity of facial and trigeminal nerves were left intact, but, the tumor was so compressed "like a fist" against the facial and trigeminal, that the doc had to resect the tumor Carefully off the nerves via endo. He told me that post op for a while facial motor and trigeminal may be affected.
I lost my vestibular cochlear nerve to the tumor-because it took it over. and it could not be saved. Goodbye hearing, and hello Vertigo for 1 month.
Trigeminal is STRICTLY SENSATION in your face.
FACIAL NERVE< IS MOTOR ONLY.
So How do I know mine is slowly coming back?
Lets start with Trigeminal nerve. Which is SENSATION.
After surgery, the left half of my chin up to my lower lip, up to my left cheekbone was numb. the whole left side of my mouth and tounge were numb.
Now at 26 days post, that has improved by about 50% and continues to do so. I am sure food will start to taste less like soap within another month.
Now-FACIAL=MOTOR.
Post op, I could not cry on AN side.
Zero. I could not close my eye all the way either BY ITSELF.
Post op swelling made it worse and one night I felt my eye was way too dry and I started to use drops.
Only last week, tearing came back about 35%, enough to watch TV for more than an hr without drops, and I do not use drops at all now except early morn to get a jump start. Saliva on my AN side was zero-that has come back at least 20%. I expect more in the future.
Lips-
@3 weeks post I would still have the mick jagger squid lip left side when I "puckered up"-that has improved by 80%.
I still cannot blow up a balloon.
I see myself getting better, but slow.
My smile is looking normal every day, and less like an evil grin.
