Bell's Palsy

[livingwith]

I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy on July 19th 2006. On Sunday July 22nd, I began my journey with Bell’s Palsy. On that day I noticed that my lunch tasted funny and I remarked to my husband that my hormones must be out of whack. I awoke Monday morning to symptoms of what I believed to be a stroke My face felt weird and I thought I was talking strangely, so I looked in the mirror. I panicked and ran to my husband trying not to alarm my 6 year old daughter.
I called my OB doctor first a...Read the full article

[Terri]

Hi my name is Terri and I am 25 yrs old. I am from Louisiana and I have had Bells Palsy since I was 11. I am starting to look into some options on surgery. I have seen an accupunctionist and my symptoms have kind of started to correct. My eye is better now but my mouth still droops and I cannot smile. I am happily married and have 3 children. I was wondering if you have any other ideas. I do not have any insurance right now but I am willing to try anything at this point. You can contact me at my email address [moderator note: e-mail address has been removed].

Thanks,
Terri

[nettibug60]

I would love to know how the "Facial Reanimation" went for you. Perhaps it is here in another post and I just haven't found it yet. I developed Bell's Palsy 17 years ago. I am not sure what might have been the cause of the Bell's Palsy. Some doctors believe I was allergic to a cortisone ear drop I had been put on, others think it was stress due to the adoption process (we were adopting 2 babies - now 17, at the time) and others say it was due to the extremly cold weather and yet even others believe it was due to some type of virus (that I was not aware I had). None of this matters now but what does matter is the my self-esteem. I was on predisone way too long and far too much. I have packed on over 74 lbs. Some of this is due to being on prednisone and an uncontrollable (as the docs put it) urge to eat and some due to just low self-esteem. I quit pursuing many dreams when all this occured. It was bad enough having the Bell's Palsy but it shattered me deeply to learn I had synkinesis and that it would NEVER GET ANY BETTER. I often have older gentleman (and all ages for that matter) think I am winking at them when we are out to eat at a restaurant. When I smile, my left eye closes and when I drink or eat it closes as well. When I close my left eye, the left side of my smile rises. I have a very lop-sided smile and my left eye closes with each smile so I rarely smile. My family begs me to get pictures but I won't. It is just too discouraging. I would love to have my smile back and for my eye to not droop all the time. I began substitute teaching about 5 years ago. I lasted for almost 3 years before the pain from constantly being asked "what's wrong with your face" caused me to once again, retreat within myself. I just completed school last year and now have my certification in Therapeutic Massage. My clients love me....they aren't looking at me most of the time but often when they are done recieving their massage ask me questions. I wonder how long I can be strong this time around. My husband is permanently disabled (and what a trooper he is - has what is called Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency - never been a smoker - it is a rare genetic lung disease) so we are on limited income. Does anyone know of any surgeon in the Wichita or Kansas City area that might be willing to help me. Thanks and many blessings to all of you out there that are also suffering. Lynette

[livingston93]

Hi Nettiebug60,

I am so sorry to hear that you have been living with this horrible condition for so many years. This website has truly helped me in so many ways. When you have this affliction, you feel very alone and it is very difficult for people to understand the emotional toll it can take. I completely understand the self esteem and personal struggles with the Bells. Although I had not been suffering with the Bell's as long as you, I can relate to many of the comments and feelings that you shared. I would highly recommend a personal consultation with the Dr. of your choice. I chose Dr. Elliott Rose at the Aesthetic Surgery Center in New York City. From what I have learned, the facial assemetry and the synkinsesis can be corrected with surgery regardless of the duration of the illness. You are correct that once you are afflicted with the synkinsesis, it is not likely to improve on its own. The Facial Reanimation surgery was difficult, but I believe well worth the struggle. It is a long healing process and I am still in speech therapy. My synkinesis has greatly improved, but I may need further treatment to obtain maximum results. I now have mobility in the left side of my mouth, but I am still progressing towards a truly symetrical smile. So, there is A LOT of hard work involved in the surgery. It is not an overnight miracle. It requires a strong commitment of the individual to achieve the best results. I am about 3 months post surgery and believe I still have a long road ahead. But certainly, each individual and each case of Bells is unique. I did have insurance, but they have paid very little. We have paid most of the expense ourselves. I believe the cost is high, but the benefit outweighs the cost. If you would like to contact me directly, I would be glad to try and answer any questions that you may have. My email address is [moderator note: e-mail address has been removed]. Take care.

Lisa