Day 3: Weekly Mug Shots

No change. Slight headache still. Got my eye patched and went to work. Very difficult to navigate with one eye on the uneven, crowded sidewalks here in Morocco. I don't drive, I walk everywhere...I feel a little unstable and unsafe. I think I will curb my going out to only the essentials. At least until I don't have to cover my eye. Got some acetaminophen for the headache, since NSAIDs can tear up your stomach like the steroids, so it's generally not good to take both together. It was really hard to work all day on the computer with one eye - it doesn't see so well on its own.
I did a full set of realignment stretches and static exercises from Pete Egoscue's book, Pain Free, just in case there's any misalignment of my joints that's causing the pressure or inflammation on this facial nerve. This method had worked miracles on other pain for me over the past 3 years, as well as many others I've recommended it to, and it's free and available to do myself anytime, especially where there are no chiropractors, etc. I'll probably keep doing it as regularly as I can. I did a combined set for head, neck and jaw pain, and dizziness/tinnitus.
I read some more online about Bell's Palsy and decided to take these weekly pictures, of the neurological test of facial expressions, to track my progress...I may switch to videos, but at least I've got a starting point recorded.

I definitely keep finding myself asking the question, "Why?! Why me? Why now? I don't have time for this!! This does not fit well with my job, where I have to interact with people, and it's not easy to take time off!" But then I read words that David wrote, like, "Whom shall I fear? What can flesh do to me? My hope is in God alone and I've already been rescued from death!"

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Days 13-14: DIY Eye Taping

Muscle function continues to improve. I've been able to move my lower lid several more times, and then I can't. It comes in spurts. My face is clearly less droopy, more taut. My upper lid now participates slightly when the other eye is blinking involuntarily. I can slightly tighten my whole cheek, not just the corner of my mouth. Super encouraging and hopeful! I worked a 12 hour day on Saturday...I know I shouldn't have, but we had an exhibition and there was work that had to get done. I was wiped out, and yesterday and today (thankfully days off work, for rest) I've been laying low, not feeling so great... The virus that created the conditions for the suffocated facial nerve is running it's course (just like it has with others around me who had the virus, though not with my same complications). It's moved from bad headaches and fatigue to include head and chest congestion. I slept 13 hrs last night! The spot of nerve damage behind my ear is still painful. M

Day 50 - Prednisone Was The Culprit!

Oh My! What a week! I'm so thankful that none of this has landed me in the hospital here, because I just got to see what those are like, and what they are lacking! One of our artists almost had a heart attack and I had to take her to the emergency clinic and spent the next couple long days with her there, trying to advocate for her. I'm exhausted, needless to say, and thankfully she was stabilized and able to return home to better care. While I was at the hospital, my neurologist came by to check on our artist, and he recognized me and asked how I was doing. When I told him how exhausted I've been, with super low energy, he said that was because I stopped the Prednisone too quickly and so my adrenal glands were struggling to function! But he had specifically told me NOT to taper them, that there was no need, and he didn't prescribe a dose that included tapering! AGH!! Sure enough, I checked my notes here, and the dates (so thankful I had this record!) and right when

Days 15-16: Glorious & Underated...smiling and blinking

Not much to report - still feeling tired, sick and congested (that's the most discouraging part) - still improving in facial muscle strength and obedience to my brain's commands, a tiny bit more each day! Hearing and sight and taste impairment still the same. I can almost make a sort of smile - or at least a pleasant look instead of a grimace - if I don't smile on my good side, except a tiny bit in that eye...that helps it match the weak side and gives me an expression that doesn't shout that something's wrong! Until people realize I'm not blinking! I know that many others with Bell's Palsy have a much slower recovery, and there's no guarantee mine will continue to progress at this pace or fully recover (though from prognosis stats for early progress, I'm hopeful). Hang in there! Rest! Do everything you should, as early as possible, and that should really help! The quote above is from an article by BBC reporter, John Sudworth , who himself had

Rachel's Bell's Palsy Journal

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