Yep, I woke up Friday morning and couldn't feel or move the right side of my face!!! SCARY!!!! My friend Catie had it in high school, so I diagnosed it pretty fast myself, but still decided I should go to the doctor just to make sure. The doctor confirmed I had bells palsy, gave me a shot in my rear end and started me on a steroid to hopefully help the inflammation and speed up my recovery process. I cannot blink, scrunch my nose or smile with the right side of my face....ughhhhh so aggravating!!!
For those of you who do not know about bells palsy here's what Women's Health Advisor 2002 had to say:
What is Bell's palsy?
Bell's palsy is a weakness or paralysis of the facial nerve, the nerve which controls movement of the muscles of expression on one side of the face. This causes a drooping of the affected side of the face and an inability to close the eye on that side.
How does it occur?
Something causes the nerve to swell. The nerve then crushes itself against the bony canal through which it passes as it travels from the brain to the face. Once this happens, it can no longer transmit impulses to the facial muscles. The muscles become weak or paralyzed and muscle control is lost.
Doctors aren't sure why the nerve swells. One theory suggests that the nerve is infected or inflamed by a virus.
What are the symptoms?
The initial symptom may be an ache behind the ear of the affected side. This is followed by weakness or paralysis in the facial muscles on that side. The paralysis usually starts in the lower face. Other symptoms may occur such as tearing of the eye, decreased taste, a change in hearing, and inability to whistle or chew well. The severity of Bell's palsy can vary from a mild weakness to complete paralysis.
The speed at which the symptoms progress also can help predict the severity of the illness: The faster the progression, the more severe the weakness or paralysis. Development of Bell's palsy can take as little as a few hours to a couple days. (My doctor told me anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months, we're hoping more towards the two weeks)
Here are a few pics of what my face looks like with different expressions;~0
Here's a smile :)
Here's a nose shrug :~
Here's a lip pucker ;)
Anyways we had a good spring break!!! Dana and I took the boys to the zoo on Monday, and Dylan had a blast, Isaac did too but he mostly just looked around and slept!!!!
Okay guys...we're ready to go!
Dylan LOVED the baby elephants!!
Hello Mr. Turtle
Dylan enjoying ice cream at the end of the zoo trip!!
We went to the Botanical Gardens and Trinity Park on Thursday with the McKinnie family and had a fabulous time!!
Hopefully I will have the great pictures we took up next time, I forgot my camera and I have to get the pictures from my step mom!
Here are a few pictures from girls night at Lin's house!!! We had a lot of fun!!
We painted a baseball diamond in Dylan's sports themed room this weekend!!! At first I wasn't sure, but I love it!!! Let me know what you think!
Baseball diamond!!!
Another wall
Another wall!!
Dylan is learning so much at school, he came home a couple of weeks ago counting to ten in Spanish!!! My kid is pretty smart, he must take after his mommy!! J/K daddy, I think he is going to have Daddy's common sense smarts and my book smarts.
Dylan is growing like a weed and keeps us rolling most of the time!!!
Dylan helping mommy with breakfast (we eat the frozen variety of waffles at our house)
Here is Dylan helping Grandad!!
Golf Anyone???
Catie was in town from Boston this week and I was able to meet up with her a couple of times while she was here, it was good to see her!!!
Yes I am covering my half smile!!!
Other than that we are just counting down the days until summer break (43 days)!!!
Love,
Leah
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