Coping With Bell's Palsy

I got bell palsy on Christmas 2008. This is my story, hope it helps. A couple of days before Christmas I felt my mouth numb, like when you leave the dentist and the medication is wearing off. I thought it was from something I ate.

Then I notice when I would rise my mouth the water would split out, strange I thought. The next day my right eye started acting weird and twitching. I also had strong pain behind my right ear. That’s when I started to think there is something wrong with me. The next morning was Christmas and I had no movement on my right side of my face. I’m 24 but went straight to mom, she asked if I could feel my arm and I could so she knew it was not a stroke

My brother asked me to smile and I couldn’t, just on my left side of my face and told me I had bell palsy. I went to the doctor the following day and he confirmed it and prescribed me steroids and antiviral. He said one can get it after having a cold or stress which I had. The doctor said it could last 2 weeks or never ago away; of course I started to cry. The doctor also said that massaging my face would not help it just goes away on its own.

When I go home I researched and found this website. I read almost every ones story. I cried almost every day because your use to seeing yourself a certain way and how is it that I could not smile or move my face. Regardless of what the doctor said I massaged my face every day and by two weeks I could move my right side of my face a little.

Thank God by the third week I was 85% better. (I still could not lift my right eyebrows and blinked more with my left eye, it was not noticeable but I knew) It’s almost two months since I got bell palsy and I feel my left side stronger than my right if squeeze my eyes thigh, but I have expression again and I can smile.

My advice is have faith it will go away it is a scary feeling having bell palsy. I would also recommend massaging your face as much as possible. Best wishes