So one of the little-appreciated benefits of anonymous blogging is that at least you don’t have to show people your face. And at the moment mine looks a little funny.
I went to bed last night with a horrifically sore neck and woke up with a prickly feeling in one side of my face and a little difficulty moving one side of my face. Turns out I’ve got this non-threatening but cosmetically noticeable thing called Bell’s palsy.
The upshot is one side of my face looks like I had too much Botox or something and it feels a little like when the novocaine starts wearing off after you’ve been to the dentist.
Now, not knowing that’s what it was when she talked to me over the phone my doctor suggested I go to the emergency room. Which made me pretty nervous. Then I got in and someone said “what’s happening?” I said my face was getting limp on one side and she cheerily chirps “oh, that could be a stroke, I’ll get you into a room right away.”
Well, fortunately it wasn’t as bad as that (nor was it a brain tumor, the other unpleasant possibility.) Instead it is, as I said, Bell’s Palsy. All in all I’m feeling pretty happy and, even better, chances are extremely good that my face will be back to normal within 90 days. As it is if you look at one side it looks normal, and if you look at the other side it looks normal (if a bit relaxed) but if you look at my face straight on it looks lopsided. Weird, eh? Not bad, just weird.
According to the Wikipedia entry other sufferers of Bell’s Palsy include actors Pierce Brosnan, George Clooney, radio personality Amy Goodman, erstwhile progressive politician Ralph Nader, and Def Leppard bassist Rick Savage. So unless I wind up as rashly testosterone-poisoned as Ralph Nader did it could be a lot worse. Again, not bad, just weird.
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 03:33.
So very glad that it's nothing worse. I hope you have a very rapid recovery.
[Thanks, A. The hardest part by far is that it's affecting my right eye -- it's droopy, hard to blink (I have to *tape it shut* at night so it won't open and scratch my cornea on my pillow!) and the tears aren't working at all so I'm having to put eyedrops in every few minutes. %#%!@#$!~@$# It almost always gets better on its own (well, that plus acyclovir and prednesone for a week) so I'm trying to avoid obsessive Googling since they tend to dwell on worst cases. :-) --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 04:02.
Figleaf,
This post is a good example of one of the things I really admire about you: your ability to write about the frailties of the flesh without self-pity. Too many people dread socializing simply because they are self-conscious about a lack of photoshop good looks. So kudos for your honesty.
I am glad that your condition was not due to something more serious, such as a stroke. When I started reading this post, I immediately thought about your recent periodontal surgery and wondered if that went awry. So stay healthy.
[Thanks for your kind words, Kochanie. The only time we *don't* have problems is when we're dead so might as well have interesting ones, eh? :-) The surgery *probably* didn't have anything to do with me getting this yesterday although the condition is so poorly understood that nothing can be ruled out entirely. Diabetes and pregnancy are more strongly correlated though even then they may just be correlations. (I have a vasectomy so I *know* I'm not pregnanty. :-)) Thanks again. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 05:57.
My dad had it, too... scary... but it does go away... :)
I think they said it's actually caused by a virus?
[Yup. It's often associated with one of the herpes-like viruses (chicken pox, CMV, mono, and, of course, oral and genital cold sores) so they're giving me a whopping dose of acyclovir just in case. Really glad to hear about your dad getting better. Thanks, Selena, I appreciate it. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 09:18.
Will raise a glass to your speedy recovery!
[Thank you, E! I appreciate it. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 09:54.
figleaf-
I've known a couple of people who have had Bell's palsy, no worries.
If you've ever watched Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Jamey Sheridan, the actor who played the first captain on the show had Bell's palsy. It's why the character suddenly started wearing an eyepatch. His attack was a little more severe than yours sounds like and his eye was affected somewhat.
Wishing you a speedy recovery!!
[Thank you, Norby! My eye's involved too though a patch would be kind of cool. :-) --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 10:03.
Hope you're better soon. Glad it wasn't a stroke!
[Yeah, me too! Thanks so much, B. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 11:25.
Glad to hear that it isn't something more serious. Still, Bell's isn't a picnic either. I wish you a quick recovery!
[No, it's not a picnic (for instance if it was at all windy my eye would dry out even more quickly!) :-) I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thank you, Bunny! --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 11:42.
Glad to hear you'll be okay and best wishes for a speedy recovery!
[Thank you, Eurosabra! --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 11:51.
I had a friend with that and:
a) She got better within a couple months
b) Strangers usually didn't notice
So I'm glad it wasn't something serious and I hope it gets better soon!
[Thank you, Holly. Hearing about other people really helps me. One thing in cases like this is that the people who tend to be motivated to build websites tend to have the worst cases. Which is great, of course, but also introduces bias when you're looking for info. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 13:48.
I was just watching the last season on Angel on DVD, and during the commentary on one episode, Joss Whedon mentioned that one of the actors had Bell's Palsy when it was being filmed. Thus, his character happens to be in profile or dimly lit during all his scenes.
Anyway, sounds unpleasant, and I hope you get over it quickly. Taping your eye shut sounds very odd.
(And I just found your blog last week. Really like it! Thanks for your thoughtful comments on, well, all sorts of things.)
[Hmm. I kind of like the idea of being seen in profile and dim light anyway. Hmm... thinking, thinking... :-) Anyway, you're always welcome to come back. Thanks, Miz G. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 14:44.
Ohh, don't google for worst-case scenarios, or at least don't keep googling for them. Give yourself permission to do something joyful or fun (granted, it may not be nearly as fun when you can't see well and don't feel great).
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 15:08.
Well, that might make for some interesting lighting for your photo experiments. I vote yes!
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 16:33.
Good luck Figleaf!
I have a friend who had a case of Bell's palsy, and she was right as rain after a while. Mostly we just entertained ourselves by making fun of her when she drank anything, but hopefully your friends are more sensitive. :)
[Yeah, that's pretty much the way it works, with my friends too. "Bell's palsy, turns *every* glass into a dribble glass -- *Naturally!!!*" :-) My daughter, who's 8, thinks its funny and keeps trying to make her face look limp on one side like mine. Mostly though, it's not *that* bad. I think it makes me look older but pretty much everyone else says it makes me look younger since it has the same effect on the wrinkles on that side as botox would. Also not worth it. :-) Thanks, Susan. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-11 18:00.
My husband has Bell's. Started in childhood. He was at preschool age given what was then then an experimental treatment, the youngest in Canada, involving electric current through needles to stimulate the weaken nerves. It still shows up when he is tired or his system is under stress. One of those quirks that makes him who he is(along with blowing bubbles through his eyes underwater). For him it's all about rest and resources to keep it under control. It gives him cute sad puppy face.
[Thanks, Adela. It gives me half a soulful, poetic look on one side, which wouldn't be bad at all if the other side wasn't still all goofy grin most of the time. :-) Wonder if I could learn that bubbles-with-my-eyes thing. Can't ever get enough airways, you know. :-) --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Mon, 2007-11-12 06:28.
Glad it wasn't a stroke! Hope you get better soon.
[Thank you, P. It's Monday and I live in an alternative medicine mecca (as well as a really great city for regular medicine) and at least now I can start making appointments. By all accounts I don't really need to since it either will or won't go away regardless. But in a lot of ways it's good practice for if something more serious happens -- which it's sort of bound to sometime in the next 60 years, right? :-) --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Mon, 2007-11-12 09:05.
About five or six years ago I came down with Bell's. I was about 45 years old at the time. I was given a scrip for steroids and something else, can't remember what, and I started to improve within a few days. After about three weeks I seemed to recover completely, and it has not reoccurred.
[Yup, I'm taking a steroid (that so far hasn't manefested any side effects) and an anti-viral drug just in case that's causing it. Glad to know you got better quickly, VM. Thanks for the encouraging words. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Mon, 2007-11-12 14:18.
Whew... how scary to be told to go to the e-room! I am very glad to hear it isen't SERIOUS, and am sure that you are as handsome as ever. (Althogh your exact degree of handsomness remains an educated guess; I missed your full face photo several weeks back.)
If it is a virus related to herpes, you may want to avoid peanut butter and excessive caffiene until it's better.
Be well!
[Thanks, Kitty! I'll be taking very good care of myself. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Mon, 2007-11-12 19:50.
Yikes. I'm glad that it's "only" Bells, and nothing of a more scary nature.
[Oh yeah. I'm getting a sense of how lucky I am, two ways: first, that it's not anything worse, second how many people have traces of it left and nobody really notices. (Fingers crossed!) Thanks, RPB. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Tue, 2007-11-13 14:56.
You should be extra glad that you gave up smoking when you did. My mother-in-law had Bell's last year. She managed the other symptoms well enough including drinking with straws out of one side of her mouth, and wearing an eye patch for a time. The thing that nearly drove us all mad was her smoking. Since she couldn't get her lips to seal properly she'd hold her cigarette to her lips in one hand and pinch her lips shut with the other. She was never able to get a good seal and made a pffft noise whenever she'd inhale.
While her recovery was longer than is typical (I blame not following the doctor's advice) she's just fine now. The only people who can see any trace from her bout with Bell's are those who are closest to her, and even then it's only when she's exhausted.
Hope you're back in fighting Figleaf form again soon!
[Thanks, Tortie. Yeah, at least I don't smoke but it throws off my chili-pepper chewing. :-) I do look forward to whatever recovery I wind up with, but yeah, for now I feel pretty delaminated in the libido department. Which makes sense, of course, but will also pass since my overall hormone production is alive and well. --fl]
Submitted by 1744 (not verified) on Sun, 2007-11-18 12:38.
My sister has had Bells Palsey for decades now, and it hasn't stopped her from doing what shes wanted to do, including becoming a professional singer. So, keep your head up!
L
[Thanks, Lola. It's actually improved a lot for me. My smile's still crooked and I can't whistle or wink, and it's pretty uncomfortable to go outside in bright sunshine (who knew how much work squinting was?!?!) but being able to blink and close my eye at night has made a world of difference. --fl]