[livingwith]

I got Bell’s Palsy the day before Labor Day this year and read the posts on this site a few days later. They seemed primarily negative, I figured because most people who recover don’t post their story. So I wanted to be sure I posted my experience here if things improved, and they most certainly did.
I first realized something was wrong while waiting to meet a friend at a golf course the morning before labor day when I yawned while looking in the bathroom mirror. The right side of...Read the full article

[jippity]

Hi Michael

Thanks so much for posting this. Suddenly yesterday I was laughing with a guy who'd told me a joke in a shop and realised something wasn't right with my face. We left the shop and I asked my mum what was wrong. She noticed that only the left half of my face had facial expressions. Saw my GP who has put me on steroids and I'm seeing him tomorrow to see if there's an improvement. As someone who needs their facial expressions for their job (I'm a childrens entertainer) I was beginning to panic when I read the other stories as it seemed that most people don't recover at all but reading your story has given me hope.

I can completely identify with the changing personality overnight. I'm not as keen to chat to strangers today as I was yesterday morning as it is making me very self-conscious.

Thanks again
Jess

[SueDenise]

Thank you Michael & Jess for sharing your experience with BP. I had a cold a week ago & suddenly I developed Bell's last night after I'd realised that I couldn't drink from a cup 'properly'. I went to the A&E an hour after that as the left side of my face became 'stiff', was so afraid that I was getting a stroke, it's been THE most frightening experience in my life! After the doc diagnosed it as BP, I was prescibed tablets and eye cream & drops. I'm on the internet trying to find out more about this condition which I'd never heard of prior to last night. As Michael mentioned, most people have left negative comments and its been awesome to know that in a couple of weeks the end WILL be in sight! I'm really conscious of how I look now, my left eye (oh yeah, another thing everyone said was that the right side of their face was affected but mine's the left & I wonder why) is dry & difficult to close, seems to just stare ahead (creepy), both my eyebrows are not level (to me at least) & I can't smile properly which is a total bummer as I tend to smile all the time. It's been extremely uncomfortable at work today, everyone was noticing all these weird bits, i'm just so self-conscious.....as I'd loads of work to do I didnt take the medical leave the hospital wrote out forme.

I'm just happy to know that in a couple of weeks there'll be improvement & total (YES!) recovery :)

Whoever reads this, GOD BLESS!
Sue