Living with Hemifacial Spasm

I was diagnosed with hemifacial spasm a couple of years ago. i had had the condition for some years before that. it is not well known by many doctors and not easily identified. i first noticed an eye twitch. being aggressive in my approach to my health, i saw a neurologist who performed a complete neurological exam and found no deficits. i had an MRI at the time which was normal.

Several years later as the condition progressed, I again became concerned. my family doctor suggested it was due to severe lack of sleep. When it persisted i was referred to a second neurologist who readily identified HFS. My issue became what to do to treat it.

i have considered the classic options: medication (which can hardly be considered a treatment in view of the negatives), botox and surgery.

My eye has closed a bit and alternates between semi-closure and normalcy and i do sometimes experience the gruesome twitches which i manage to mask. But i have considered the treatments and have opted to do nothing.

I am concerned about the potential side effects some of which can be worse than the condition itself. I am able to go about my normal life now except that my eye is sometimes noticeably half-closed. i am able to drive and do everything i want to do. i have no dizziness nausea, or anything else. thank god.

I have considered micro-vascular decompression surgery, but the risks are too great for me. i enjoy all my faculties right now and want to preserve them. I am not as beautiful as I used to be or maybe even can be..but my life is better than it might be and i am grateful to God for that.

i am afraid of disrupting the equilibirumof health that i do have , in favour of a treatment which may introduce into my life some effects worse than the condition itself that i would find far more distressing than theissue i have now.

if anyone thinks i’m wrong, please enlighten me.