Hi Karen: I wanted to wait until after I saw Dr. Patrick Byne at Johns Hopkins before replying to you. I will be having facial surgery on 11/20, something called a Temporalis Tendon Transfer + alot of other work (facelift, browlift, etc.) Since I have total paralysis right side, what this new procedure does is when I bite down, I'll have a small right sided smile (so he wants me to practice biting down & doing the left sided closed mouth smile with it). I had decided against the nerve grafts after much thought about it. This surgery will at least help me look 'normal' again. I'm figuring on a cost of about $20,000 - with my insurance paying 70% of the right side work only. I don't yet know the exact fee, but that's what I figure it will be. This should get rid of the droop & maybe even open up the nostril. The surgery will be 7-8 hours & I'll have to spend 1 night in the hospital (I'll have a tube on each side under my jawline & he's concerned re: my asthma & hypertension, so overnight it is. The tubes will come out the following day). I don't have nerve pain so can't help you there. Always good thoughts, Nancy
ps: oh, he's also going to put in the platinum weight for my upper eyelid (can't wait, can't wait!).
