tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Good luck mate 
My new adventure (ie where did I go this time?)
- Thread starter Acert93
- Start date
I am home and doing well. I have a headache that won't seem to go all the way away; it rears it's ugly head anytime I change positions and right before I take my meds. But minor complaints!
I checked in at 9am on 1/24. Me, my wife, and our pastor sat around until 10:40 when they took me back. Surgery started at 11am and I was out of surgery at 3:30. They did find 2 vessels compressing my Trigeminal Nerve, one artery and one vein. The surgery was a great success.
I came out of surgery very, very alert. I remembered everyone's names, answered all their questions promptly, and could think very clearly. Until I puked all over (wow that was horrible). That is when I noticed the headache.
I was transferred to the post-OP ICU at about 5pm. I was doing so well my surgeon said if I felt good in the morning I would not need to stay in the ICU for 24 hours. 24hrs is their standard protocal but I am so much younger than the average TN patient (most onset of TN is after 50yo) and I am in pretty great health. He even hinted at that if I was eating, urinating, and continued to be as alert as I was he would release me early Wednesday night!
So I ate some Jell-O and Gatoraid at 11pm 1/24 and had a nice omlet 7am on 1/25. I was on Q1 vitals so I basically got no sleep. Everytime I would dose off the machines would go crazy because my respirations are low and my heart rate is sub-60 and and BP was averaging 105/55.
I was discharged at 11:15 1/25. My wife took me home and I promptly went to bed at 2pm. I got up every 3 hours for meds and a bathroom break. My headache is a little better this morning but changing body positions makes it really throb. And I am tired. I got up at 6am today (1/26). I feel quite restless. If I didn't have the headache I would try doing something relaxing like reading. I won't be pushing it ... but I don't know what to do with myself!!
Thanks for all the well wishes
I do know my next surgery won't allow me out as quickly as I have to do some vestibular rehab and my guess is I won't be 100% when I go back in in 3 weeks. But having this one go so well is very encouraging! I had been told up until 2 weeks ago to expect 2-4 days in the hospital but my surgeon felt after reviewing all my records that it would be closer to 1 day. And he was right.
I must say, though, I felt quite sad at the hospital. I saw so many very, very, very sick people. When I came out of my surgery and Dr. Kim said he found 2 vessels and he decompressed them and my hearing was 100% in tacts I was so happy. So happy that I am one of those really lucky guys who gets TN and it gets addressed before I had to suffer a ton of pain. And yet my heart went out to all the sick people around me. These odd illnesses can hit anyone at any time and it really puts it into perspective how fortunate I am. Instead of vascular compression I could have had a tumor. This is all a very humbling experience, surreal even.
Well, I am quite tired again. I just wanted to give everyone an update and let them know I am doing great. Thanks AGAIN for all the support and encouragement.
I checked in at 9am on 1/24. Me, my wife, and our pastor sat around until 10:40 when they took me back. Surgery started at 11am and I was out of surgery at 3:30. They did find 2 vessels compressing my Trigeminal Nerve, one artery and one vein. The surgery was a great success.
I came out of surgery very, very alert. I remembered everyone's names, answered all their questions promptly, and could think very clearly. Until I puked all over (wow that was horrible). That is when I noticed the headache.
I was transferred to the post-OP ICU at about 5pm. I was doing so well my surgeon said if I felt good in the morning I would not need to stay in the ICU for 24 hours. 24hrs is their standard protocal but I am so much younger than the average TN patient (most onset of TN is after 50yo) and I am in pretty great health. He even hinted at that if I was eating, urinating, and continued to be as alert as I was he would release me early Wednesday night!
So I ate some Jell-O and Gatoraid at 11pm 1/24 and had a nice omlet 7am on 1/25. I was on Q1 vitals so I basically got no sleep. Everytime I would dose off the machines would go crazy because my respirations are low and my heart rate is sub-60 and and BP was averaging 105/55.
I was discharged at 11:15 1/25. My wife took me home and I promptly went to bed at 2pm. I got up every 3 hours for meds and a bathroom break. My headache is a little better this morning but changing body positions makes it really throb. And I am tired. I got up at 6am today (1/26). I feel quite restless. If I didn't have the headache I would try doing something relaxing like reading. I won't be pushing it ... but I don't know what to do with myself!!
Thanks for all the well wishes
I must say, though, I felt quite sad at the hospital. I saw so many very, very, very sick people. When I came out of my surgery and Dr. Kim said he found 2 vessels and he decompressed them and my hearing was 100% in tacts I was so happy. So happy that I am one of those really lucky guys who gets TN and it gets addressed before I had to suffer a ton of pain. And yet my heart went out to all the sick people around me. These odd illnesses can hit anyone at any time and it really puts it into perspective how fortunate I am. Instead of vascular compression I could have had a tumor. This is all a very humbling experience, surreal even.
Well, I am quite tired again. I just wanted to give everyone an update and let them know I am doing great. Thanks AGAIN for all the support and encouragement.
Just a quick update: 2nd surgery only went ok. I rebounded well and was out of the hospital within about 30 hours after being admitted (only one night). Was very dizzy after surgery, as to be expected as my superior canal was plugged closed and a bone graft put in place. The initial results were great: my hearing was amazing--no more pounding heart beat, no more hearing my eye ball, no more rumbling when I talked, and everything seemed so crisp and clear fore once. So I went home Friday. I was in only a little pain related to the jaw muscle being slightly cut and stretched, but no real headaches this time. Ditched all the narcotics the day after surgery so I was on 500mg Tylenol 3x a day for ~ 2 weeks. So went home Friday on a walker and was progressing daily; Monday I got some pounding sounds in the ear (to be expected to a degree as the symptoms don't usually resolve immediately).
Anyhow awoke Tuesday morning completely deaf in my left ear. Went on Prednisone but no changes. Since it has been 11 days with no improvement I am almost surely deaf in that ear permanently. My left eyebrow/forehead is also paralyzed, they are unsure if that will change and I have ringing tinnitus now (at least the first 2 days of being deaf were completely quiet, now it sounds like Cicadas in my ear). Major bummer. The hope is, though, that all the dizziness and fatigue will resolve. The hole was about 1.1cm and I know that I was slowly losing hearing and longterm there was a chance I would lose it anyways and, that due to the size of the hole, I was more at risk of losing the hearing (typically 2% risk for surgery of this kind) but it doesn't really blunt the reality of having it fixed and then losing it. It is a big adjustment, especially as the kids don't quite understand that all 4 (make that 5!) of them talking at once no longer works for daddy.
Kind of a crazy last couple weeks as my wife, last Saturday morning, began leaking amniotic fluid. We went to the midwife for check up and the baby was transverse so off to the hospital they went and I was 30 minutes from home with all 4 kids and unable to drive LOL. It all worked out though, got some friends and family to help out. Thankfully the baby moved head down on her own while my wife was in Triage and her water broke. My wife has gone over 2 weeks with every child so this one, at 37 weeks, and she was looking small so we ended up staying at the hospital instead of laboring at home. The staff were pretty hands off though and let my wife labor in peace (she walks a lot) and about a day later began real contractions and we had a healthy 6lb 5oz baby girl and a healthy mom happy to have not had an emergency C-section. I am not quite sure how I did it though... I ditched the walker Saturday morning and somehow was helpful for two days about a week after surgery. But I am really beat now, just exhausted. Thankfully, outside the hearing and eyebrow, I have had so few complications with the surgery itself--if I had not lost my hearing I would be doing back flips Big picture, the hope is that the repair to the ear will at least resolve the dizziness issues but only time will tell as it takes months for the body to adjust to the repair as the canal is now disabled.
Thanks for everyone's thoughts, well wishes, prayers, etc., they were appreciated. Now it is recovery time, helping with the fam, and preparing to go back to work.
PS- The Trigeminal Neuralgia surgery was a resounding success. I didn't realize how many aches, twinges, stabs, etc I was having until now. I have a 30% change of it returning in the next 10 years so no doubts, if it came back, I would re-do the MVD.
Anyhow awoke Tuesday morning completely deaf in my left ear. Went on Prednisone but no changes. Since it has been 11 days with no improvement I am almost surely deaf in that ear permanently. My left eyebrow/forehead is also paralyzed, they are unsure if that will change and I have ringing tinnitus now (at least the first 2 days of being deaf were completely quiet, now it sounds like Cicadas in my ear). Major bummer. The hope is, though, that all the dizziness and fatigue will resolve. The hole was about 1.1cm and I know that I was slowly losing hearing and longterm there was a chance I would lose it anyways and, that due to the size of the hole, I was more at risk of losing the hearing (typically 2% risk for surgery of this kind) but it doesn't really blunt the reality of having it fixed and then losing it. It is a big adjustment, especially as the kids don't quite understand that all 4 (make that 5!) of them talking at once no longer works for daddy.
Kind of a crazy last couple weeks as my wife, last Saturday morning, began leaking amniotic fluid. We went to the midwife for check up and the baby was transverse so off to the hospital they went and I was 30 minutes from home with all 4 kids and unable to drive LOL. It all worked out though, got some friends and family to help out. Thankfully the baby moved head down on her own while my wife was in Triage and her water broke. My wife has gone over 2 weeks with every child so this one, at 37 weeks, and she was looking small so we ended up staying at the hospital instead of laboring at home. The staff were pretty hands off though and let my wife labor in peace (she walks a lot) and about a day later began real contractions and we had a healthy 6lb 5oz baby girl and a healthy mom happy to have not had an emergency C-section. I am not quite sure how I did it though... I ditched the walker Saturday morning and somehow was helpful for two days about a week after surgery. But I am really beat now, just exhausted. Thankfully, outside the hearing and eyebrow, I have had so few complications with the surgery itself--if I had not lost my hearing I would be doing back flips
Big picture, the hope is that the repair to the ear will at least resolve the dizziness issues but only time will tell as it takes months for the body to adjust to the repair as the canal is now disabled.Thanks for everyone's thoughts, well wishes, prayers, etc., they were appreciated. Now it is recovery time, helping with the fam, and preparing to go back to work.
PS- The Trigeminal Neuralgia surgery was a resounding success. I didn't realize how many aches, twinges, stabs, etc I was having until now. I have a 30% change of it returning in the next 10 years so no doubts, if it came back, I would re-do the MVD.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Hope things keep going well for you and the family. Though it sucks that you got deaf on one ear though I suppose it's better than having headaches all the time. Besides, you might enjoy it. Now you can (litterally) turn your kids a deaf ear if they are making too much noise
My mom has one deaf ear as well and it isnt a problem for her/us at all so you and your family will probably get used to it I think.
My mom has one deaf ear as well and it isnt a problem for her/us at all so you and your family will probably get used to it I think.
Congrats on the baby, though I'm sorry to learn of the hearing loss. I hope it's not permanent despite the odds.
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Grats on the new baby. Sorry bout the ear, but if I were religious I could add some hand-wavy nonsense like, "the lord giveth and the lord taketh"; not sure how that would help you. Heh, so just...grats on the new baby!
Diaper-changey time again for you guys for another ~2 years now, yayyy!
Diaper-changey time again for you guys for another ~2 years now, yayyy!
