Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Bell's Palsy Update - 1 Year

Okay, it's not quite a year just yet but pretty close. There hasn't been any changes since the last update. This is probably my last update (did I already say that in my last update?). 

Anyway, anything I feel now I think is and will be a permanent effect from this. I notice it when I'm stressed. I noticed muscle restrictions when I'm eating. I don't think that I will fully recover all my muscles in my face. 

When I'm stressed, I get that sharp headache pain behind my ear. I would have excuses this in the past but that pain, was how all this started. Most headaches (for me at least) is centralized in the head. It can be in the front or back. I also get a lot of tension headaches from my shoulders and into my neck. I rarely notice any pain behind my ear until a few days before leading up to the day my face started drooping on one side. So you bet that whenever I feel pain behind my ear, I freak out! So far, it hasn't happened again. 

My physical appearance looks normal but when I'm eating, I feel it the most. Maybe it's because I'm using a lot of facial muscles when chewing, slurping or sipping. It feels as though I'm limited to using 100% of my facial muscles on the affected side. I can tell my lips still don't pucker normally haha

It's not the end of the world. Just a strange thing. 


My sister who just gave birth had Bell's Palsy the last month of her pregnancy. I saw her a couple of weeks later and she looked fine. Apparently hers wasn't as extreme as mine. She didn't have to tape her eye shut like I did. She was able to close it with an eye cover. I'm glad she didn't have to experience it like I did. It was horrible. The eye irritation. Ointment. Tape. Gauze. Oh it feels like it was just yesterday.