Hello - I wonder if anyone might be able to help me.
As a result of surgery last year, I have lost the facial nerve on the left side of my face. While there has been a small amount of natural nerve regeneration and some improvement due to facial exercises, etc, there is what I can only describe as a "droop" on that side of my face. I will have remedial surgery sometime in 2013 (oh yes! A facelift on the NHS ) but that's a while away.
For normal day-to-day activities, I have to tape my forehead and cheek, to prevent the muscles lengthening due to gravity and therefore compromising the effectiveness of future surgery. This is fine for low level exercise, but I have returned to running (in a very small way!) and I don't feel this tape gives me sufficient support. While I don't want to stop running, because it does me a huge amount of good both physically and psychologically, equally I don't want to risk compromising the chances of successful surgery!
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how I could support my face while running. At the moment, the only thing I can think of is tying a scarf around my face (the way parents used to do when their child had mumps, with the ends of the scarf sticking up like rabbit ears...) and, while I don't mind looking like an eejit when I run, I can't help wondering if there might be anything a bit less....conspicuous, shall we say?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Comments
Good luck with the VLM training *shakes pom poms*
Not sure if my description helps but I can see it in my mind
Perhaps you could ask your physio if there could be a similar prosthetic made to support your 'droop' when running - I'm sure it would be possible.
I'm also sure there will have been other people who've been through similar experiences who exercise and there will be many more in the future - perhaps you could break new ground with this and it will be helpful to other people?
Anyway, best of British
C
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. I think I shall experiment with buffs etc... and, thinking about it, the surgeon who did the original surgery is a runner, so it might be worth dropping him an email to ask his advice. (lightbulb moment there!).
Corrie, I like to think that I am ground-breaker in oh, so many ways
and then a running cap to complete. A tight fitting cap would also help to keep the buff in place - or a hair clip or two.
something like this sort of thing I think http://www.recovapostsurgery.com/Facial_Compression_Garments/
https://www.macom-medical.com/facial_compression.html
some of that looks a bit gimpy LOL I thought I was going to have to wear somethign similar after my jaw surgery
Thanks, everyone, for these helpful suggestions. I shall start investigating
"gimpy"
Well, yesterday I emailed the consultant who took out my facial nerve last year, who's a runner himself, and he has already replied, bless him. He says not to worry about soft tissue damage and that it's more a question of how comfortable I feel. He's having a word with the plastic surgeon who will operate on my face next year and will let me know what he thinks.
God bless the NHS - how great is that?
This :
Hein Gericke Balaclavas