Hello,
If your pain is past the point of Intolerable to the point that you can’t stop cringing/crying or otherwise just short of jumping off a cliff, I Highly recommend it (more on this below). If medicines get the pain in control with minimal disruption to your daily activities, then hold off until you can’t stand it anymore. I dealt with pain and drugs of all flavors and strengths from 1993 - 2001 before I realized I had waited way to long to do my MVD. If I had learned about it sooner, I would have done it about 2-3 yrs earlier. But at that time, the procedure was still pretty new to the general Neurosurgeons. The procedure while extremely invasive to your body (head) and the risks are a concern for complications, the reward (NO PAIN) is far greater than the risks. With that said, I can’t STRESS the Importance to do your home work and research the experience level of any Neurosurgeon you think you might have this procedure with. The best ones are in the Mayo Clinic in Philadelphia and in California. However, there are now many competent and more experienced doctors all over as more cases arise giving the more operations under their resume for this type of procedure. The procedure itself is a 2-3 hours, you are completely under sedation, you will wake up with some really bad headache(s) due to the procedure done to your skull (this is expected and good in some ways - feeling pain in this case is good) I don’t know the percentages of people who wake up with absolutely (NO) pain, but I think it is are pretty good percentage (>70+)
this is merely a guess on my part. For me I woke up with NO pain and I cried just not believing it. Some people wake up with minimal pain compared to when they went in. Some claim it gets better as they heal from the procedure. There are a few that sadly, still have as much pain as before (the risk of failure) [in my completely un-professional opinion, the procedure was not completed successfully] but I have heard in rare circumstances that the surgeon just could not find anything to fix. As far as the length for which there is no recurring pain after surgery, I have no idea, some say 1 - 8yrs ( there may be some longer, but this procedure has just not been in practice long enough to have a good set of patience and their results over long periods of time. My pain lasted a wonderfully and grateful 2 yrs to the month. No explanation as to why it came back, speculation from Docs, is that scar tissue grew enough to invade the nerve again. So back to the drugs and incredible pain. I now have it managed between seeing a cervical (neck/head) chiropractor specialist and a different combination of drugs I am 98% pain free (occasional quick shocks to remind me that the devil is still inside me). Well I went into a really long response, but if I had this type of information way back then, I would have made my choices the same.
I tried the drugs, the pain was to great, I tried to beat my head against walls, I couldn’t get help from non-believing doctors who could not explain the pain. I finally did my own research on the internet and found several options. After addressing with two different Neurologist and a Neurosurgeon, we came to the consensus that the MVD was my most logical course given the fact that all the combination of drugs back then were useless.
Finally, even though it was only a 2 yr pain free experience, it was totally worth every bit of money and risk.
I got my life back for 2 years, I think so that I could endure a new wave of the pain, and to give medical world to come up with a few more drugs they felt could also compete against the pain. I have chatted with others in TNA support groups that have had much longer pain free experiences and we ALL agreed the chance at the rewards far outweighed the risks.
I hope this novel didn’t put you to sleep or a damper on your thoughts - keep your curiosity on high and investigate with as many resources as you can. I truly wish & pray you all the best of luck and God’s speed.
Sincerely,
Andy
Thanks Andy…
I’m looking into MVD because I want to have another child and medications are not safe treatments during pregnancy. Also, MVD is used to treat another condition I have as well. Thanks so much for responding.
Wishing you wellness,
Anna
Hi
I had MVD surgery in May 2009. I woke up from surgery with the nerve pain completely gone. So far, I haven’t felt that pain again. I was off work for 6 weeks. I only had someone with me at the house for the first week. Surgery was on Thursday and went home on Saturday. The first week was alot of headache and neck pain. Took the pain meds and slept alot. After that week, I was home by myself and did just fine. Good luck on whatever decision you make and hope you find the right one for you to be pain free.
Connie
Hi Anna,
I just had MVD on May 11 so am still recovery. My surgery was about 4 hours where 2 blood vessels were found around my nerve; one quite large. I was in ICU for over 24 hours and then they moved me to recovery. I left the hospital four days later. The first week was hard. I am getting better now. I seem to have a lot of numbness in my face still (my right side was involved), but no pain like I had. He is slowly taking me off medications now, and I see him for my first post-op visit outside the hospital in four days. I was very sick with any movement the first three days after surgery and had no appetite; I still really don’t. A good thing since I have lots of weight to lose (LOL!).
I have a puppy at home that I was afraid to be left to take care of the first week. I am still afraid as I cannnot run after him. Besides that I could probably be comfortable being left alone. You must make sure you always have someone available to drive you in emergencies. I can continue to fill you in as the recovery goes along if you would like. I suspect it will take a very long time for me to get my energy back. I was just able to get back on the computer three days ago and sleep about 16 - 18 hours/day now.
Val
Hi Val,
Thanks for writing and sharing your experience. Yes, please do keep me updated as your recovery progresses. I am so thankful to know ahead of time what to expect… I hope your energy is restored sooner than you think, but admire your patience 
Val said:
Hi Anna,
I just had MVD on May 11 so am still recovery. My surgery was about 4 hours where 2 blood vessels were found around my nerve; one quite large. I was in ICU for over 24 hours and then they moved me to recovery. I left the hospital four days later. The first week was hard. I am getting better now. I seem to have a lot of numbness in my face still (my right side was involved), but no pain like I had. He is slowly taking me off medications now, and I see him for my first post-op visit outside the hospital in four days. I was very sick with any movement the first three days after surgery and had no appetite; I still really don’t. A good thing since I have lots of weight to lose (LOL!).
I have a puppy at home that I was afraid to be left to take care of the first week. I am still afraid as I cannnot run after him. Besides that I could probably be comfortable being left alone. You must make sure you always have someone available to drive you in emergencies. I can continue to fill you in as the recovery goes along if you would like. I suspect it will take a very long time for me to get my energy back. I was just able to get back on the computer three days ago and sleep about 16 - 18 hours/day now.
Val
Thanks Andy for your post. I hope your pain is not too bad. I too am happy about having my life back. I haven’t been totally pain free but I would be happy living like this compared to what it was before surgery. Are you considering the surgery again? I am. But then I think well I’ll wait until I get really bad again. My surgeon said he could have me in within a week.
Liz
Andy Anthony said:
If your pain is past the point of Intolerable to the point that you can’t stop cringing/crying or otherwise just short of jumping off a cliff, I Highly recommend it (more on this below). If medicines get the pain in control with minimal disruption to your daily activities, then hold off until you can’t stand it anymore. I dealt with pain and drugs of all flavors and strengths from 1993 - 2001 before I realized I had waited way to long to do my MVD. If I had learned about it sooner, I would have done it about 2-3 yrs earlier. But at that time, the procedure was still pretty new to the general Neurosurgeons. The procedure while extremely invasive to your body (head) and the risks are a concern for complications, the reward (NO PAIN) is far greater than the risks. With that said, I can’t STRESS the Importance to do your home work and research the experience level of any Neurosurgeon you think you might have this procedure with. The best ones are in the Mayo Clinic in Philadelphia and in California. However, there are now many competent and more experienced doctors all over as more cases arise giving the more operations under their resume for this type of procedure. The procedure itself is a 2-3 hours, you are completely under sedation, you will wake up with some really bad headache(s) due to the procedure done to your skull (this is expected and good in some ways - feeling pain in this case is good) I don’t know the percentages of people who wake up with absolutely (NO) pain, but I think it is are pretty good percentage (>70+)
this is merely a guess on my part. For me I woke up with NO pain and I cried just not believing it. Some people wake up with minimal pain compared to when they went in. Some claim it gets better as they heal from the procedure. There are a few that sadly, still have as much pain as before (the risk of failure) [in my completely un-professional opinion, the procedure was not completed successfully] but I have heard in rare circumstances that the surgeon just could not find anything to fix. As far as the length for which there is no recurring pain after surgery, I have no idea, some say 1 - 8yrs ( there may be some longer, but this procedure has just not been in practice long enough to have a good set of patience and their results over long periods of time. My pain lasted a wonderfully and grateful 2 yrs to the month. No explanation as to why it came back, speculation from Docs, is that scar tissue grew enough to invade the nerve again. So back to the drugs and incredible pain. I now have it managed between seeing a cervical (neck/head) chiropractor specialist and a different combination of drugs I am 98% pain free (occasional quick shocks to remind me that the devil is still inside me). Well I went into a really long response, but if I had this type of information way back then, I would have made my choices the same.
I tried the drugs, the pain was to great, I tried to beat my head against walls, I couldn’t get help from non-believing doctors who could not explain the pain. I finally did my own research on the internet and found several options. After addressing with two different Neurologist and a Neurosurgeon, we came to the consensus that the MVD was my most logical course given the fact that all the combination of drugs back then were useless.
Finally, even though it was only a 2 yr pain free experience, it was totally worth every bit of money and risk.
I got my life back for 2 years, I think so that I could endure a new wave of the pain, and to give medical world to come up with a few more drugs they felt could also compete against the pain. I have chatted with others in TNA support groups that have had much longer pain free experiences and we ALL agreed the chance at the rewards far outweighed the risks.
I hope this novel didn’t put you to sleep or a damper on your thoughts - keep your curiosity on high and investigate with as many resources as you can. I truly wish & pray you all the best of luck and God’s speed.
Sincerely,
Andy
Hi Anna,
I had MVD May 7th and I am also a teacher. Have you been able to keep teaching throughout this? I had a really hard time keeping it together at work with the pain and/or medication side effects.
My MRI showed a compression but when the surgeon went in he didn’t see a compression, so he pinched the nerve…ouch. I was extremely nauseous with the most horrendous headache for about three days. Then I very slowly began to improve. I still have some pain but haven’t had to take tegretol. I am concerned about going back to work in the fall. I’m afraid I will have to live a slower paced life in order to keep the pain at bay. But, HOPEFULLY I will have a complete recovery and regain all strength with no pain. Have you decided what you are going to do? Good luck and God bless.
Hi Jamie,
I was basically non-functioning for my first few years with TN… but today lead a relatively normal life! I can totally relate to having difficulty keeping a life together amidst the pain, and on various medications… I definitely lead a slower paced life now, but more fulfilling to be honest.
I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do… I’m still waiting for my last neurologist to send my records to the neurosurgeon… he is a pain in the ass… But thank you for writing to me about your experience.
Best of luck to you & best wishes for a complete recovery ~
Were you able to teach during those few years when the pain was at it’s worst?
Anna Guarco Cheney said:
Hi Jamie,
I was basically non-functioning for my first few years with TN… but today lead a relatively normal life! I can totally relate to having difficulty keeping a life together amidst the pain, and on various medications… I definitely lead a slower paced life now, but more fulfilling to be honest.
I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do… I’m still waiting for my last neurologist to send my records to the neurosurgeon… he is a pain in the ass… But thank you for writing to me about your experience.
Best of luck to you & best wishes for a complete recovery ~
No, I took a hiatus from everything for a few years. It was awful 
jamie leigh said:
Were you able to teach during those few years when the pain was at it’s worst?
Anna Guarco Cheney said:Hi Jamie,
I was basically non-functioning for my first few years with TN… but today lead a relatively normal life! I can totally relate to having difficulty keeping a life together amidst the pain, and on various medications… I definitely lead a slower paced life now, but more fulfilling to be honest.
I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do… I’m still waiting for my last neurologist to send my records to the neurosurgeon… he is a pain in the ass… But thank you for writing to me about your experience.
Best of luck to you & best wishes for a complete recovery ~
I was in the hospital for 16 days 6 in ICU due to unforseen problems, that resulted in a Cerebral Spinal Fluid leak that came out of my left nostril. I feel MVD surgey is often protrayed as a simple surgery. Fact is it is brain surgery. It does work well for many when it comes to TN. Have known many it did not work for as well. Standard need for time off is 6 weeks. My neurosurgeon told me that even with out the problems I had, I should expect it to take at least a year before I totally felt back to normal again. He was right.
I would strongly recommend that you do your homework. Not only check out the surgeon, but the hospital you are going to as well.
Wow, sorry to hear that… Thanks for writing Sarah.
Sarah Hobbs said:
I was in the hospital for 16 days 6 in ICU due to unforseen problems, that resulted in a Cerebral Spinal Fluid leak that came out of my left nostril. I feel MVD surgey is often protrayed as a simple surgery. Fact is it is brain surgery. It does work well for many when it comes to TN. Have known many it did not work for as well. Standard need for time off is 6 weeks. My neurosurgeon told me that even with out the problems I had, I should expect it to take at least a year before I totally felt back to normal again. He was right.
I would strongly recommend that you do your homework. Not only check out the surgeon, but the hospital you are going to as well.
Hi to Everyone!
I think the answers here show one thing – everyone’s experience is different.
I started having issues with my TN which prevented me from working in early August 2009. Medications made my life a blur, and my liver enzymes shot up from the tegretal I was taking. I did research – perhaps to much research – but I am the type person who needs to know what can be done and what to expect.
I wound up at the Cleveland Clinic where I met Dr. Lee, the neurologist who specializes in MVD and other “Lower Brain” surgery. Many people criticise his bluntness, but I found it refreshing. He didn’t say “Now, now, we will do this little procedure called MVD and everything will be better.” He went into details of the surgery, risks, possible complications, recovery issues, etc. He showed me my MRI and how the basilar artery was wrapped around my trigeminal nerve.
I did more research, checking medical books out of the Ohio State University’s medical library about MVD and trigeminal neuralia. I read Dr. Lee’s published papers and two lengthy books he authored. As an engineer and scientist, I was impressed by Dr. Lee’s surgical inovations, research methods, and work experience. I compared MVD to other treatments, but kept coming back to MVD and Dr. Lee.
Finally after several delays due to insurance issues, enzyme issues, and coordination of help after the surgery and Dr. Lee’s schedule, I got in for surgery on Friday, June 25. My TN pain was under control by meds, but I was in a constant fog, and was unable to work. My primary care physician gave me the green light for surgery – no major issues in bloodwork, EKG, etc.
I went to the Cleveland Clinic the day before my surgery for test and to fill out paperwork. I was surprisingly calm and unworried about the surgery. I slept well, getting up at 8:00 for my 9:15 surgery appointment. My wife and daughter walked with me the three blocks from the hotel to to the surgery center. I was efficiently prepared for surgery and taken to the operating room. I was still calm, and the anesthesiologist didn’t see any need to give me any preliminary “happy juice” through the IV to calm me down. Dr. Lee was completing another surgery, and I talked with the surgery crew while I waited. Finally, Dr. Lee arrived about 45 minutes behind schedule, and we talked briefly before they put the gas mask on me and I fell asleep.
The next thing I remember, a nurse was calling my name and telling me I was in the recovery room. She said my surgery had gone well. I know I was drifting in and out of sleep, but remember the time was 2:15. My surgery had taken a little over 3 hours. I remember being thristy, and asking for something to drink. The brought me a stick with a lemon flavored sponge on the end to wipe around inside my mouth, but before I was done, the brought a container of ice water and then ask if I wanted a lemon-lime soft drink. It was refreshing. I had to resist the urge to chug it down.
I was getting oxygen through a nose piece, and had a cathater hooked up to my bladder. I was still drifting off now and then. I was ask to say who I was, tell them my birthdate, tell them where I was, and answer similar questions frequently. The nurses told me I would be going up to my room in a little bit, and my family would join me there. It seemed to take forever to get me to my room, but eventually, they rolled me upstairs.
I was feeling no pain at all – no TN pain, no headache, no pain at the site of the incision, absolutely no pain. My family visited for a few minutes, then left me so I could “rest”. Anyone who thinks you can “rest” in the hospital
has been mis informed. They brought me a liquid diet dinner, which I ate some of and then I watched a little TV. I would have liked to have slept but there seemed to be a family reunion going on in the next bed. It didn’t make that much difference since the nurses came around frequently to check vital signs and ask me how I was doing. I did have what seemed to be a pulled muscle on the left side of my neck that was getting more and more painfull (my surgery was on the right), and the nurses explained that this was because of the way they twisted me around to gain access to my head for the surgery.
The next day, I had several visitors besides my family, and a few phone calls. I was a little queezy and ate lightly, and a few times felt I might vomit, so I ask for anti-vomit medications. I ask to have my catheter unhooked which they did right away and wanted to get up – at least to sit for a while. By afternoon, I was able to take a few laps around the floor. I still was run-down, and not getting that much sleep day or night. I watched TV, listened to CD’s, and slept when I could. At 6:00 the next morning (Sunday) one of Dr. Lee’s associates came around and took my bandages off. He checked my charts and said I would probably be sent home that day.
I was now able to get up and wander the halls by myself, and except for being tired was ready to go. I was eating a little better and not feeling nausiated any more. I was drinking my ice water like a whale. I was released in the early afternoon and instead of taking the 4 hour drive home that day, we spent an extra night at the hospital hotel. I was only able to sleep on might right side or back, due to the neck ache. I had a small dinner and a nice breakfast the following morning.
We stopped every hour or so on the way home, mostly so I could walk around a bit. I was only pain killers before bed to help with the neck ache, and was eating normally. I was able to shower and wash my hair with baby shampoo. During the next week, did a few little things around the house and went with my wife to the home center to get a few supplies for the home repairs, to the grocery store, and ate dinner out a few times. Everyone said I looked and acted a lot better – probably because I was down to 1/2 my previous medications.
At 10 days, I went to my local doctor to have the stitches taken out, and he approved me for driving. I returned to work that day for 4 hours a day. This increased to 6 hours a day a week later and 8 hours a day 3 weeks after the surgery.
It is now 4 weeks after the surgery. My only issues are that I still have neck pains from time to time, but I find heat pad helps a lot, and my family doctor is arranging for physical therapy. I do have a lot of numbness and “funny” feelings on my face on the right side (the side of my surgery). This makes sleeping on my right side sometime an issue. The numbness normally doesn’t bother me that much when I am awake. This numbness changes and is different on different parts of my space. I can feel touch, heat, and cold everywhere on my face, but the right side feels numbness too. Sometimes my numbness feels like my face has been stuffed with cotton, sometimes I feel areas that feel wet, but are not really wet, sometimes I feel other things. These sometimes drive me a little crazy, but then when I remember the TN pain I used to get, they seem minor. Both Dr. Lee and my family doctor say that these will probably get better over time.
The biggest thing I didn’t expect after surgery was the numbness issue. Not that it is painfull, it is just a lot different than what I expected. The term “some numbness” is often used when associated with the MVD procedure, and at least in my case, this term seems a little inacurate, but I can’t think of a term that is better.
Hope this account is of some help to those considering MVD. Like I said when I started, every person’s experience is different. So far, my experience has been generally better than expected. I attribute this partially to the fact that I was phycologically and physically prepared for the surgery, and that I found a surgeon and facility that I had high confidence in. I will post periodic updates.
Scott M.
Scott M,
I had a lot of numbness for several months - the back of my head and most of my right side. I was concerned about pain with the numbness but I didn’t have any of that. But I still have TN pain although it is much better. It sounds as if you don’t have any TN pain?
Liz
Scott M. said:
Hi to Everyone!
I think the answers here show one thing – everyone’s experience is different.
I started having issues with my TN which prevented me from working in early August 2009. Medications made my life a blur, and my liver enzymes shot up from the tegretal I was taking. I did research – perhaps to much research – but I am the type person who needs to know what can be done and what to expect.
I wound up at the Cleveland Clinic where I met Dr. Lee, the neurologist who specializes in MVD and other “Lower Brain” surgery. Many people criticise his bluntness, but I found it refreshing. He didn’t say “Now, now, we will do this little procedure called MVD and everything will be better.” He went into details of the surgery, risks, possible complications, recovery issues, etc. He showed me my MRI and how the basilar artery was wrapped around my trigeminal nerve.
I did more research, checking medical books out of the Ohio State University’s medical library about MVD and trigeminal neuralia. I read Dr. Lee’s published papers and two lengthy books he authored. As an engineer and scientist, I was impressed by Dr. Lee’s surgical inovations, research methods, and work experience. I compared MVD to other treatments, but kept coming back to MVD and Dr. Lee.
Finally after several delays due to insurance issues, enzyme issues, and coordination of help after the surgery and Dr. Lee’s schedule, I got in for surgery on Friday, June 25. My TN pain was under control by meds, but I was in a constant fog, and was unable to work. My primary care physician gave me the green light for surgery – no major issues in bloodwork, EKG, etc.
I went to the Cleveland Clinic the day before my surgery for test and to fill out paperwork. I was surprisingly calm and unworried about the surgery. I slept well, getting up at 8:00 for my 9:15 surgery appointment. My wife and daughter walked with me the three blocks from the hotel to to the surgery center. I was efficiently prepared for surgery and taken to the operating room. I was still calm, and the anesthesiologist didn’t see any need to give me any preliminary “happy juice” through the IV to calm me down. Dr. Lee was completing another surgery, and I talked with the surgery crew while I waited. Finally, Dr. Lee arrived about 45 minutes behind schedule, and we talked briefly before they put the gas mask on me and I fell asleep.
The next thing I remember, a nurse was calling my name and telling me I was in the recovery room. She said my surgery had gone well. I know I was drifting in and out of sleep, but remember the time was 2:15. My surgery had taken a little over 3 hours. I remember being thristy, and asking for something to drink. The brought me a stick with a lemon flavored sponge on the end to wipe around inside my mouth, but before I was done, the brought a container of ice water and then ask if I wanted a lemon-lime soft drink. It was refreshing. I had to resist the urge to chug it down.
I was getting oxygen through a nose piece, and had a cathater hooked up to my bladder. I was still drifting off now and then. I was ask to say who I was, tell them my birthdate, tell them where I was, and answer similar questions frequently. The nurses told me I would be going up to my room in a little bit, and my family would join me there. It seemed to take forever to get me to my room, but eventually, they rolled me upstairs.
I was feeling no pain at all – no TN pain, no headache, no pain at the site of the incision, absolutely no pain. My family visited for a few minutes, then left me so I could “rest”. Anyone who thinks you can “rest” in the hospital
has been mis informed. They brought me a liquid diet dinner, which I ate some of and then I watched a little TV. I would have liked to have slept but there seemed to be a family reunion going on in the next bed. It didn’t make that much difference since the nurses came around frequently to check vital signs and ask me how I was doing. I did have what seemed to be a pulled muscle on the left side of my neck that was getting more and more painfull (my surgery was on the right), and the nurses explained that this was because of the way they twisted me around to gain access to my head for the surgery.
The next day, I had several visitors besides my family, and a few phone calls. I was a little queezy and ate lightly, and a few times felt I might vomit, so I ask for anti-vomit medications. I ask to have my catheter unhooked which they did right away and wanted to get up – at least to sit for a while. By afternoon, I was able to take a few laps around the floor. I still was run-down, and not getting that much sleep day or night. I watched TV, listened to CD’s, and slept when I could. At 6:00 the next morning (Sunday) one of Dr. Lee’s associates came around and took my bandages off. He checked my charts and said I would probably be sent home that day.
I was now able to get up and wander the halls by myself, and except for being tired was ready to go. I was eating a little better and not feeling nausiated any more. I was drinking my ice water like a whale. I was released in the early afternoon and instead of taking the 4 hour drive home that day, we spent an extra night at the hospital hotel. I was only able to sleep on might right side or back, due to the neck ache. I had a small dinner and a nice breakfast the following morning.
We stopped every hour or so on the way home, mostly so I could walk around a bit. I was only pain killers before bed to help with the neck ache, and was eating normally. I was able to shower and wash my hair with baby shampoo. During the next week, did a few little things around the house and went with my wife to the home center to get a few supplies for the home repairs, to the grocery store, and ate dinner out a few times. Everyone said I looked and acted a lot better – probably because I was down to 1/2 my previous medications.
At 10 days, I went to my local doctor to have the stitches taken out, and he approved me for driving. I returned to work that day for 4 hours a day. This increased to 6 hours a day a week later and 8 hours a day 3 weeks after the surgery.
It is now 4 weeks after the surgery. My only issues are that I still have neck pains from time to time, but I find heat pad helps a lot, and my family doctor is arranging for physical therapy. I do have a lot of numbness and “funny” feelings on my face on the right side (the side of my surgery). This makes sleeping on my right side sometime an issue. The numbness normally doesn’t bother me that much when I am awake. This numbness changes and is different on different parts of my space. I can feel touch, heat, and cold everywhere on my face, but the right side feels numbness too. Sometimes my numbness feels like my face has been stuffed with cotton, sometimes I feel areas that feel wet, but are not really wet, sometimes I feel other things. These sometimes drive me a little crazy, but then when I remember the TN pain I used to get, they seem minor. Both Dr. Lee and my family doctor say that these will probably get better over time.
The biggest thing I didn’t expect after surgery was the numbness issue. Not that it is painfull, it is just a lot different than what I expected. The term “some numbness” is often used when associated with the MVD procedure, and at least in my case, this term seems a little inacurate, but I can’t think of a term that is better.
Hope this account is of some help to those considering MVD. Like I said when I started, every person’s experience is different. So far, my experience has been generally better than expected. I attribute this partially to the fact that I was phycologically and physically prepared for the surgery, and that I found a surgeon and facility that I had high confidence in. I will post periodic updates.
Scott M.
Yes, Liz, So far, so good. NO TN PAIN!
Scott M.
Hi Scott,
Your experience sounds SO MUCH better than mine, and we had the same surgeon…Dr. Lee. I am glad you are feeling well and didn’t have severe pain after the surgery. My recovery was very painful. I am grateful though that I have not had to take tegretol since surgery:)
Jamie
I had my MVD done just over 5 years ago. I kept a real time on line diary of my recovery (on a different site) as it was happening. My physical and emotional feelings. I have updated it every year on the anniversary of my MVD.
http://braintalkcommunities.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2028
It is now 9 weeks after my surgery, and except for some numbness issues everything is going fine. I am 100% off my TN “pain” drugs, and seem to have more energy and strength every day. I also seem to be thinking more clearly than I have since this whole thing started.
Scott
Hello Anna,
I am 12 post op. I also am very active, mother of four, and finishing my graduate work. Planning for the surgery seemed to fall into place for me. My kids are active and people have been amazing at helping us with dinners, running kids, etc. I know it’s hard to let go, but believe me, it’s important for you to rest and take your time. I am suppose to start my class tomorrow, but I need to be realistic and take my time. We’ll see what happens. But, I am doing great…just tired and my left side is “thawing out!” What I mean by this is that my left side was numb from surgery, and it’s taking time getting back to normal. This is normal and probably good. I didn’t have the TN pain when I chose to have surgery, for me the medications where intolerable. I weaned off one of the drugs before surgery and one other shortly after surgery. My head was sore, from surgery, and the drugs must still be in my system since I’m a little unsteady. Everyone is telling me to take my time, and admittedly this for me is the hardest part being a mom. I think six weeks would be realistic to take off of work. You’ll be more tired than you expect. I stopped taking pain meds other than tylenol and advil on the fourth day after surgery b/c they made me nauseous. But, they were great after surgery. don’t be afraid of them. ICU was LOUD! I think I was sensitive. My hearing in my right ear has a ring, it also should go away. I agree with other posts, do your homework. I had the most amazing surgeon in Indianapolis…and I am very happy I did this because we are too young to suffer the rest of our lives. May God bless you…and always pray, because truly that is what I leaned on the most. Janet