Recovery and Side Effects of Bells Palsy - 1 Year Later

In this episode, I bring you up to speed with my recovery and side effects from my having Bells Palsy in 2021, 1 year after being afflicted with it, how I recovered, and what lasting effects I have suffered.

Towards the end of July 2021, I was working in my office when I noticed some odd things happening to my face. To be honest, me and weird face things go hand in hand, but this was weird even for me. I noticed my left eye drying out terribly, and when I went to crinkle my face it wasn't responding on the left side. When I got home I asked my wife to check if something was in my eye, and there was. She then asked me to smile. And I couldn't. Houston, we have a problem.

It was early enough in the evening that I was able to go to the Convenient Care right up the road from me. When I checked in at the desk, they put me at the highest level of triage, as there were concerns of a possible stroke. I went into the office and performed all the stroke tests. Push, pull for arms and legs, finger squeeze, hop on one leg, it was like a field sobriety test! I was shocked they didn't ask me to do the curly shuffle!

The staff at urgent care wanted me to go to the Emergency Room, but eventually, we agreed that making an appointment to see my regular physician in the morning would be sufficient. When I went to check in, the next morning, they had inadvertently double booked the Doctor, so I needed to come back later in the afternoon. I left and went to my office for a bit, and brought my co-workers up to speed.

Later in the day, when I finally got into the doctor, he confirmed that it was not a stroke, nor a seizure, but definitely Bell's Palsy.

What is Bell's Palsy?
Bell's Palsy is a facial paralysis or facial palsy of the nerves on one side of the face. Bells Palsy Symptoms can include the loss of facial control, the inability to fully smile or frown, blinking is affected, and in some instances, facial drooping can occur.

Is it Life Threatening?
It is not. It's annoying as hell, but not life threatening

Can You Recover?
There are 3 recovery potentials. The first is a full recovery within 2-6 weeks, which is what I went through. The second is full recovery within 6-12 months. Beyond 12-months, recovery is unlikely. My Bell's Palsy Recovery Journey took me about a month to 5 weeks to recover from and was split between medication and physical therapy.

What Causes It?
Per the Mayo Clinic:
The exact cause is unknown. It's believed to be the result of swelling and inflammation of the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of your face. Or it might be a reaction that occurs after a viral infection.

Side note, a certain recent vaccination has also been linked to triggering Bell's Palsy

Current Status and Recovery
Currently I have had no further attacks or reactions from my treatment. My facial nerves are working as normally as possible, but I do have some vision issues coming out of this. I will never have the visual acquity I used to have without glasses, and that is frustrating.

THANK YOU
Since I posted about this on Twitter, the outpouring of support has been tremendous. Thank you all for your messages, kindness, and support.

#BellsPalsy #FacialParalysis #FacialNerves #BellsPalsyRecovery #BellsPalsyTreatment