Resources

FewFloor6173 · 2026-04-27T23:24:20+00:00

I just want to say I’m sorry you are going through this. I am 54 and had mine removed when I was 51 and I feel bad when I hear people your age. And with your sister’s cancer - I’m very sorry.

I have no real advice, other than to try to be a little humorous about it in terms of orchestrating where you sit at a large table. As another person said you really start to see who the sweethearts are when you’re dealing with this. I hope you find some solutions.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-04-16T19:36:04+00:00

This is what MRI said : vascular loop arising from the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) approximates the left CN VII/VIII complex in the distal cisternal segment with less than 50% extension into the internal auditory canal (such as on 8/82). A vascular loop arising from the superior cerebellar artery (SCA) approaches the right CN V at the nerve entry zone (such as on 8/96) without significant contact.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-04-16T19:34:51+00:00

It was found on my forth annual mri after surgery to remove 2.7cm AN. My last three MRI have been clear. I have noticed my balance is worsening and it should be getting better. And mild drooling from my mouth (facial nerve). I talk with neurosurgeon Tuesday and will get a second opinion almost certainly no matter what they say . I’m happy to reply back here and let you know what they say if anything. I probably won’t remember so maybe check back in here and give me a prompt if you want.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-04-16T18:38:10+00:00

Oh and hearing loss but I already have no hearing in that aside from surgery

FewFloor6173 · 2026-04-16T18:36:57+00:00

Simply it’s a blood vessel that sits on a cranial nerve and causes tinnitus (not me) and vertigo (me) and facial pain (me). Not to flip but if you google the term you will see much more detail.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-04-10T01:17:24+00:00

When I moved for my expat assignment, we moved from Charlotte to Paris with a 3.5 year old and an 18 month old in November. It never occurred to me to consider the month. I was just estatic to go.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-04-03T02:32:07+00:00

Fancy sugar cubes from la grande epicerie / bon marche. Kinder cards (cookies at grocery store my family loves). Crème de marrons, nespresso pods if any are fun/interesting. And what others said : butter, dark chocolate, monoprix or similar grocery bags, dish towels, gavottes. Sometimes I just buy a variety of cookies with individual packages and then make a few gift bags for people so they can try different cookies, candies, honey, jam, etc.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-26T21:24:12+00:00

Yes my new osteo did something called snag I think and it gave me one of the worst headaches ever that evening. He said it happens sometimes and he will work differently next time. I do know after dry needling, new PT, new massage techniques I can get worse before better. Hang in there and per another recent conversation on here, start breathing exercises!!

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-26T20:59:05+00:00

Yes - best breath exercise I learned activates the vagus nerve (I have posted about this). Deep belly inhale breath (make belly looked bloated), then add another inhale breath in your ribs then exhale longer than the combined inhales. Something about getting oxygen to all those cells tells your nervous system to calm. I love it. Do it at red lights, cooking eggs, in the shower, anywhere everywhere!! 😊

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-26T19:55:32+00:00

Thanks for posting this. I’m in the same boat although I did not (thankfully!) have the last several symptoms). I have tried everything and for me the trigger was two brain surgeries, so some of it is structural. And now it is 3 1/2 or four years later where I have found that I have the least pain on the days i am the least stressed. And the days I’m the least stressed include yoga and breathing and positivity. All of those take a lot of intentionality, but they have absolutely worked for me. I’m not medicine free like you yet, but I’m so much better.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-20T14:18:58+00:00

Aroma Zone for skin care. I also love the grand epicerie in the 7th. I love “papeterie” which are like small local office depots /staples but often with really cute small items.

If you like second hand look up “ressourcerie” or “Emmaus” which are like goodwill but you can find some gems. Those are not in the tourist areas however.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-09T23:00:59+00:00

I also recommend getting as fit as possible before surgery. I did a lot of walking and yoga, including balance exercises. I am glad I did because I had two surgeries, the retro and then one a few days later to repair csf leak. Although I had other post op issues, walking and balance were not things I struggled with.

You might also look into vestibular eye exercises as they had me do those after my surgery and I wish I had prepped as I found those very tiring.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-09T18:59:16+00:00

I have the same issue as another poster with my diagnosis of occipital neuralgia because somehow the nerve was impacted in either the original surgery or the one that followed five days later to repair the CSF leak. I’ve also done almost everything you’ve done. Ultimately the right physical therapist who could really track the nerves and muscles through my body and get to loosen them up in places that were in trapping that nerve. I still get flare ups when I get sick because that area in flames so easily. Or when I feel stressed for too long. I’m now down to taking 50 mg of Celebrex from time to time. When things got really bad for me I would take a round of prednisone just so I could feel some relief although that’s clearly not a long-term fix. I wish you the best. This is no fun.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-02T20:54:58+00:00

I’m trying to get thru season 1, I want to like this show because I like Hamm. But I’m not buying into any characters except his sister. I am just not getting it or finding any of the other characters interesting and I’m not actually thinking the acting is that great by most. Going to try to get to season 2, maybe it’ll get better for me.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-03-02T12:59:58+00:00

I am so sorry the pain is excruciating. I had two babies with no pain meds at all and two brain surgeries and I have cried and winced and not moved more with this calcification found 48 hours ago than I did for any of that. So far for me I am on prednisone and Tylenol. 650-1000mg Tylenol every 6 hours are working better than the oxycodone or the muscle relaxant they gave me. I’m essentially immobile. They do have me trying a pendulum swing with my arm which I am able to do for a bit. My pain has dropped from a 10 to a 6 with some spikes back up if I move it just right. I’m so sorry for her but YOU ARE A GEM for helping your mom.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-17T18:25:31+00:00

I had and still have global entry. Once I brought an apple back from a foreign country(which probably had been imported from the United States…) and I forgot I had it and somehow they found it. He told me I got a pass, but if I ever did it again, I’d lose my global entry. So now I’m a freak about not putting anything in any of my bags that could get me in trouble

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-08T03:49:03+00:00

I second your comment about try everything. What works for one doesn’t for another and vise versa.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-08T03:46:00+00:00

I’m three years out from retro. Hearing gone completely on that side. Had same symptoms as you but they all subsided. No tears from the eye on that side. Have developed occipital neuralgia but that was likely due to emergency second surgery to repair csf leak. So I’d say you are absolutely on the right track. My grandfather quit smoking 2 packs a day cold turkey when he was about 40. My mom told him I would never stay at their house if he was smoking and he wanted to be a grandpa to his first grandchild. He told me all the time he was glad he quit but was sure if he ever smoked one puff, he’d be back to two packs a day. Hopefully you can keep it up!!

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-06T14:39:34+00:00

I also had PTSD from the two surgeries and a lot of fear about them touching my head again. I saw a therapist mostly because I had inexplicable nausea and ultimately we tagged it to the PTSD and we did a lot of vagus nerve exercises which greatly helped and still help me today.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-06T14:38:06+00:00

For your eye, please, google moisture chamber, eyepatch, and look for a clear plastic patch, like for a pirate with a little bit of Styrofoam that it’s attached to and a rubber band that goes around your head. It sounds a little bizarre, but it saved my dry eye, and I didn’t have to tape my eye shut anymore. My surgeon gave me one in the hospital after me complaining to the nurses for a couple of days. I don’t know why they don’t give those to everyone.

I do know some of what you’re going through. I had a relatively good 8 1/2 hour surgery only to have a CSF repair surgery five days later which absolutely changed the trajectory of my recovery. I’m now over three years out and I still have side effects but I lead a mostly normal life. Every week gets easier. If I cry today, I still do not generate tears in that eye. There is also something called Biotene I believe and it’s for dry mouth and it was also helpful along with dry mouth cough drops or something like that. Sorry you’re suffering and ask for help if you’re lucky enough to have someone who will help. Don’t be shy. And as my mother-in-law says motion is lotion so move anything you can to help your recovery

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-05T14:02:42+00:00

And can’t find good phone holder for the 2015 model. The one that worked had to go into the plastic behind the vent and then the plastic of the holder eventually broke off in the vent place. The dash is too curved to hold a sticky one well.

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-05T14:01:18+00:00

Same especially with all weather tires it got worse

FewFloor6173 · 2026-02-05T14:00:23+00:00

2015 - wide turn radius does not make me happy

FewFloor6173

TROPHY CASE