Facial Progress

[mimoore]

Jean that is amazing!!!!! Thank you for sharing. Can you give us an idea of your timeline? I know we are all different just interested in how others have progressed.
Happy days for you -  a smile!!!
Michelle 

[sgerrard]

Jean that is a great post, your progress is inspiring, especially since the first pic is already one year later. It is so important to know that this kind of progress is possible with time. Thanks for sharing this.

Steve

[Jeanlea]

Michele,

I got my very first movement 3 months and 6 days after my surgery.  (Who says I was keeping close track of any movement?) It was just a tiny bit of movement by my nose.  The pics show me after 1 year, 2 years, and now 3 years.  On a daily, or even monthly basis it was hard to notice the change.  With the exception of finally being able to make a smile be it ever so tiny.  That happened right around 13 months.  I seemed to get a lot of new movement around 18 months.  I hope that this gives some encouragement to those of you who are just starting out on this extremely long lesson in patience. 

Jean

[leapyrtwins]

Jean -

what else can I say but VERY impressive! 

The difference is tremendous.  I'm so glad you were able to post these pictures - they are a great inspiration to those dealing with facial issues.

Add me to the long list of others who have said you look fantastic 

Jan

[michela]

Hi Kaybo! I am fine, and I am waiting for the recovery. I have had a little improvement in the shape of my face but no movement yet.
I have a date with the surgeon on October. I visited your blog Kaybo and you look great!! A great hug!

Jean, at first, when the paralysis arrived, I searched for photos of recovery. It helps a lot; it makes you have a little hope. Now I have had the graft, so I had no choice of spontaneous recovery; I am waiting for my anastomosis to make the miracle! I asked you about the EMG, because my EMG was hopeless (severe denervation) so I had the graft.
Thank you again.

[mimoore]

Thank you Jean! You are an inspiration!!!
Michelle 

[nancyann]

Jean:  I love that you are back to 'normal'     You look amazing ! !    A friend said to me today ' miracles happen', & I replied " if we make them happen"
Well, you worked hard Jean,  enjoy your miracle ! !

Always good thoughts,   Nancy

[calimama]

Thanks Jean! It must be nice to see those upper teeth again! Patience prevails!

[jazzfunkanne]

jean your face has really improved , it gives me hope to see this after 3 years , did you exercise your face and did you use the tropical machine, you have a gold weight in your eye dont you? i cant noticed it, my eye looks really heavy with my weight in it. take carex

[Jeanlea]

Hi Anne,

I didn't do any special exercises for my face.  I would massage it sometimes.  Tried to make it move a lot.  But there was nothing I did on a regular basis.  There were no machines that I used on my face.  Yes, I do have a gold weight in my eye.  I think it's 1.4 grams. 

Jean

[saralynn143]

Jeanlea,

Have you had any synkenesis at all?
And do you plan to keep the eyelid weight?

Sara

[jazzfunkanne]

hi Jeananne, i was just going to ask about  synkenesis  as well, i find my bottom eyelid goes up when i try to smile.

[Jeanlea]

Hi Sara and Anne,

When I was at 18 months I went to a facial specialist for therapy.  She said I did not have synkinesis.  I don't believe that I've developed any since then.  I suppose I'll be keeping the gold weight since I don't think my eye close by itself without.  Maybe some day it will.

Jean

[LADavid]

Hey Jeanlea
That is awesome.  Even though my issue is synkinesis, it does give me hope for the future.  It's true -- improvements and changes happen at such a snail's pace that we never see them day to day or even week to week.  But if you view them year to year, it does happen.  This is an inspiration for all those who are stuck in the things will never get better mode.  Thanks for sharing the pictures.  You look great!

And btw, in our training for the October 12th Half Marathon, my daughter and I ran 10 miles last weekend.  We have a 12 miler coming up in three weeks with a few shorter 6 mile runs in between.  We're getting there.

David

[saralynn143]

If I get to where you are, smiling but needing a weight for eye closure, I'll take it!

I am very happy for you, and hope that I will be able to make a similar report. Soon would be good.

Sara