It has been 10 days since Claire's surgery, and she has been back home 5 days now.  She felt numbness on her left thumb (she had right side done) a few times, and she felt that she was losing control of her tongue a few times.  "Mommy, I am babbling." is how she put it.  Are these what we call post-surgery TIAs?  How did other people experience it and how much is too much?  Please share your experience.

Alexis

Hi Alexis,

Welcome home!  :D  As Dorothy simply put it..."There's no place like home..."  

Anyway, after my double bypass in May, I had brief moments of tingling and slight numbness in my left hand fingers, primarily my pointer and ring fingers.  They were very brief though, maybe a second or two.  As soon as I realized I was having these wierd feelings, they went away.  I told my local neuro about it, and he told me that "it was normal."  My left leg also felt funny at times too.  The frustrating part was that it was hard for me to explain myself!  :-/  I too had instances where I felt my tongue had a swollen like feeling...  

My neuro told me that he wasn't too worried about the tingling, but to report any numbness or feeling of weakness to him immediately.  Therefore, I felt those symptoms to be of a more serious nature.  However, from what I've read, it is absolutely normal for patients such as Claire and myself to continue to be symptomatic..especially immediatly after surgery.  Nonetheless, I always called my neuro and/or neurosurgeon if I had any unsettling questions or concerns. (I still keep in touch with my neurosurgeon in North Carolina  ;;D)

Even at 5 months post-op, my neuro tells me that I am still healing...so give it the surgery time.  I personally feel that what Claire is feeling is normal.  She too may continue to feel symptoms similar to those pre-operatively, but I believe they shouldn't be as severe.  She was also very fortunate to have been under the care of one of the best MM experts in the world which is also a big plus...  Amen!  ;)

Continue to do what you're doing...monitor her symptoms and ask us, your medical team, local neuro, Dr. S's office, etc., any questions you may have until you feel good about the answers you receive.

Once again, it's so great to hear that you and your family have made it home safely.  Please give Claire a big  Hawaiian [smiley=hug.gif]!

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Take care,
Shan

Shan, Jill, DJ and others,
Claire started having bodyaches all over her body yesterday (12 days post op).  She woke up this morning with a slight fever (99.5), and she still hurts all over the body.  Her dad (being a doctor himself) says that it is steroid wearing off.  I am anxiously waiting until it is 8 AM California time so that we can call Theresa at Stanford.  I frantically searched MM.com for post surgery symptoms.  It seems that everybody's symptoms are different.  I never found something like Claire where the whole body just aches.  I touch her arms and legs very softly and it does not matter which side it is, and she goes "Wow, that hurts!" and it really worries me.  She was looking forward to going to school today, but I realize that we have to take it very, very slow.

Alexis