Today is my three-month anniversary. Outcome remains the same . . . very minimal facial weakness, slight metallic taste, lessened but constant tinnitus, i.e., more tinnitus than pre-op but of a more consistent nature and less annoying than immediately post-op, numbness of surgical site, no balance issues, eye irritation occurs about once a week for a few minutes, SSD is way worse than pre-op when I was told there was no usable hearing remaining (perhaps not for speech recognition, but certainly for sensing a presence). So, all is well, and I will update Stoneaxe's poll if I can find it and retire this thread.
What a life experience! If I'd known that it was going to be so personally fulfilling and that I would make friends with socially redeeming qualities by enduring this process, I might have actually chosen the diagnosis.
The only unpleasant aspect is the SSD, and who knows, maybe some day I'll buy myself a BAHA! First follow-up MRI on Monday in the bun o' fun (open tube o' gloom for us claustrophobes).
Gratefully,
Nancy