What are your experiences after MVD?

I am doing wonderful, Jay! Thank you for asking! I am taking recovery very slowly, just very weak and sleep a lot, but my TN1 pain is gone! Still have slight, and I do mean just slight ATN feelings still, but I can handle that, and it's not bad at all, and Dr says that the nerve was compressed pretty severely, and will just take time to heal. I have always been one to take a while to get over surgeries or illness, so I am resting a lot and have a wonderful support system. Seems like I have not been on here in a while, but like I said, I am resting a lot and focusing on my wonderful children, who have missed me so, and my husband is a jewel. Thank you for checking back in on me!! :))

I have been praying for you and waiting for you to come back to the site! Glad to hear all is going well. I am going back to the surgeon today after 15 months to see if he can figure out the pain behind the ear and the tremendous daily headaches. Neither have responded to any type of treatment or med. I hope to know more late today.

Continue to heal and may the Lord continue to bless you during your recovery.

Proverbs Mom,

I am so glad to hear that you have come thru your surgery with a great amount of improvement noted. I read so many blogs with really bad outcomes following mvd. It was so successful for me that I feel extremely blessed and I'm very happy for you. I hope that your residual symptoms that your feeling will resolve with time. I felt some slight unsteadiness for several weeks and a general full feeling in my head (probably some swelling from the procedure) for only a few weeks and then nothing. I feel like I am back to where I was before all of this started 6 years ago, but I am still apprehensive when I re-create any of the things that used to set the pain off such as brushing my teeth or blowing my nose or rubbing my eye. I keep expecting a jolt but feel nothing, praise God!!!

Keep us informed as to your continuing progress. I am so glad you have an understanding husband. My wife was my best support and nurse thru this all.

Keeping you on my heart and in my prayers for a full recovery!!

Jay from North Idaho

I am happy for you!

proverbs 31 mom said:

I am doing wonderful, Jay! Thank you for asking! I am taking recovery very slowly, just very weak and sleep a lot, but my TN1 pain is gone! Still have slight, and I do mean just slight ATN feelings still, but I can handle that, and it's not bad at all, and Dr says that the nerve was compressed pretty severely, and will just take time to heal. I have always been one to take a while to get over surgeries or illness, so I am resting a lot and have a wonderful support system. Seems like I have not been on here in a while, but like I said, I am resting a lot and focusing on my wonderful children, who have missed me so, and my husband is a jewel. Thank you for checking back in on me!! :))

Hi, I am thrilled you are doing so well after your op… I had my MVD last nov 28th, exactly a year, but was only pain free for one month, on 26th dec it started again, I have had my moments since then, i am fine at the moment, but have never been sorry that I “took the plunge” and had it done. I would do it all again…

There are many success stories, and that’s wonderful, one of the bonuses of being on this site.

Keep well everyone, hugs to all Anne

Hey everyone! Thank you all for the prayers and support! I haven't been on in a while, but I am 5 weeks out today, and my TN/ATN pain is still only slight every once and a while, nothing that really bothers me, and I am so thankful! (Here comes the "But")...But, I am so slow to recover. My incision looks so good and normal, but feels like it is still fresh. I can feel what I guess are the screws, and it is so sore.. Also, still so fatigued, having to rest a lot, and can't do for more than 15-20 min of light activity or walking, but I do still try...when I try more, my head starts to throb at incision and head hurts. I don't think I have a csf leak, just a lot of post-surgery pain and soreness, and fatigue. Anyone else have these problems recovering? Thanks again!

i have my mvd consulation tomorrow im a lil nervous about it and the headaches after the surgery because i have chronic i migraines which are very bad. I am finally getting them under control with topomax i take everyday and i dont want them to come back

Go slow and be sure to tell your surgeon EVERYTHING. My headaches were attributed to "rebound headaches" from the narcotics. However, that was not the case. I still have them 16 months out. I also had Mastoiditis and developed meningitis from it which my team of doctors said should have been caught by the surgeon by my symptoms. That is why I emphasize to tell him everything. Did they give you any steroids to take?

I returned to the surgeon earlier this month at the direction of my neurologist and was told by the surgeon that he has never had this happen to a patient after MVD. Well, there is always a first time. An MRI was "inconclusive" in explaining the headaches or the pain behind the ear at the site of the titanium mesh.

I am receiving Botox injections for the headaches and it took 7 weeks to see any result -- I woke up one morning (after seeing the surgeon) and the headache was 75% better. The neurologist is changing the med this weekend and we will do another round of Botox mid January. He said the Botox therapy improves with each injection series. As for the pain behind the ear, no answer -- but most likely nerve damage. The problem with that is that I cannot tell if I have an ear infection or not as it always feels inflamed and crackles all the time. So, I will have to discuss a plan with my ENT or PCP doctor about that.

I am glad to hear that the TNG is settled down - it may go away once the nerve calms down too! I will continue to keep you in my prayers that all your post surgical issues will heal themselves with time.

Proverbs, I too had the pressure type pain in my head if I did too much after the surgery…it lasted several months…( my MVD was April 9th). I was very low energy for 3-4 months post op which frustrated me as others were way more active after their surgeries…BUT we all heal and recover differently it’s ridiculous to compare, I realize now.
Let your body be your guide is the best I can tell you…try not to push yourself.

(( hugs )) Mimi

I had my MVD just 7 weeks ago and no one told me not to color my hair. I just colored it this last weekend. What will happen now? I will not color it again for 3 months. Or is it too late?

I would surmise that the chemicals in the hair coloring would be very irritating to a fresh incision. But at 7 weeks, it should be pretty well healed (at least on the surface of the scalp) and if it did not burn or hurt when you colored it, I wouldn't worry about it.

I agree with “Not Again” after 7 weeks I should think it’s okay, your scar should be properly healed by now…
Hope all goes well for you, and your operation is a success…

As long as your incision is ok you should be fine - I just colored mine too-10 weeks out second mvd

The headaches are the pits. Nausea. Husband feeds me, bathes me, walks me to the bathroom. Balance is so bad I have a walker. What!!!a walker. Here’s my position on all this. I did it, I made it through. We who have done it are nothing less than fire walkers!! I will suck it up and move on. The cold sores were a surprise. But according to Striking Back, to be expected.So I am signing off for a while. To as KC said rest…

I only had head incisional area pain after my MVD...and coldsores that broke out around my incision and on my surgical-side ear! A surprise to me also. But I did not have any balance problems....just very tired...and lots of rest took care of that.