Director I Think I Have a Mild Case of Bell's Palsey

[Sheila]

I noticed that my muscles on the right side of my face were uncooperative on Tuesday night. They didn't want to move as much as the ones on the left side. I've had 2 friends in the past who freaked out over something like that & later learned it was BP. So, knowing I didn't have any numbness or loss of movement in the right arm, or leg helped me to know at I wasn't having a stroke.

The base clinic closes at 4PM and it was 5PM when I noticed the issues. So I called the next morning & went in. The Dr. didn't like that I was trying to diagnose myself & sent me via ambulance to a Japanese Hospital for further tests. The Japanese Neuro Surgeon was amazing! He was with me the whole time! I guess I was his only patient. He helped roll my gurney (they wouldn't let me walk) to the CT scan. Once they saw that it was fine, they let me walk to the MRI. As I suspected, no issues in the brain. So they released me to go back to the base. The base Dr. is happy that it's not something more serious. He's now convinced that it's one of the Palsey's, he's just not sure which one. So he's referring me to a Neurologist on Yokosuka (a base about 45 minutes south of me) for further testing. He said I could call that base on Monday to set up the appointment, that it takes 2 working days to get the referral in the system. I'm guessing that means a computer update on this end, then a computer update on that end.

Right now it's still super mild. Hubby didn't even notice it, I did when I was brushng my teeth. I went to rinse out my mouth & couldn't keep the water in on the right side. Playing in front of the mirror, I noticed a difference in the muscles.

Hopefully it will stay a mild case, but I'll be doing some testing down at the other base next week, so I'm not sure how much time I'll be spending on the commute & on tests down there. Leaving me less & less time to make my PC contacts here in my new area. I guess I need to carry my catalog tote with me next week, huh? LOL

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Hey Sheila,

That's worrying and I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with it. Glad to know you clear, for sure, from the possibility of a stroke. Praying for you. Hope it's a fluke or easy fix. Definitely be logowear queen! lol

Keep us posted.

 

[baychef]

Keep us posted and hope if you do have anything like that that it is able to be controlled.ray:

 

[Sheila]

Thanks ladies! It's caused by the same virus as Chickenpox and Shingles. I've had two bouts of Shingles now. Shingles and Bell's are both brought on by stress ... and I've been under a LOT of stress for the last couple of months! I'm hoping to get this new house organized and out from under all the boxes soon. I'm sure that will help me relax a lot! It's driving me batty having so many boxes and not able to move and function.

 

[Sheila]

I got sooooo much accomplished today! Hubby wasn't happy when he came home & found more boxes in the living room floor, but I completely cleaned out the closed that was filled with boxes, set up all the shelving units that we had bought & have now unpacked a LOT of boxes & put the items for keep on the shelves & the items that we don't need on the back porch! I was collecting stuff on the back porch to have a sell & see how much money we could make, but I'm D-O-N-E with all of that. It's all donation now. I'm tired of having more work on my to-do list. As of today, I'm going to start marking off things & get this house freaking organized!

 

[pamperedbecky]

Wow, Sheila, I just read your post after not being on here in a while. How scary, but it's good that you're getting this looked into. Keep us posted!

 

[Sheila]

I've gone through a lot more boxes since my last post. I made it to a Pampered Chef Cabinet that was buried behind boxes & did a LOT of unpacking of Pampered Chef stuff & organizing it in the cabinet! I'm starting to see floor in my house. I bet the recycle team that comes around twice a week is starting to hate me! LOL

So far, the face issues have not changed. I'd like to see the issue improve, but at least I don't have to report that it's become worse!

I woke up Saturday morning with a numb arm and was afraid that it was associated to the face, but about 3 hours into my day I discovered that I had a knot in a muscle between my shoulder blade & the spine. When I applied pressure, the numbness in my arm went away. So I put hubby to work massaging the crap out of that tight muscle and it made a huge difference on my arm. So I'm thrilled that it was just from working so hard on Friday with organizing the storage closet and that it has nothing to do with the neuro thing and my face.

 

[quiverfull7]

Sheila, have you increased your potassium intake to help with the Bell's Palsey?

 

[Sheila]

Nope, didn't read that. Does it help?

I did read online that the Shingles medication that I have on hand is working in trial studies. But only if it's started by the 4th day. Delaying past then has not shown to work. Well, I read it on the 4th day! So I started self medicating on Saturday and it seems to be helping! I can hold water in my mouth now and the pain in my right jaw & right ear is less. The muscles are still noticably week, but I'm hoping that with the mouth muscles getting stronger that the rest will follow and start doing better too.

It's Monday night here in Japan. I called today to set up the Neurology appointment and they couldn't fit me in until the 27th! Day 13!!! I'm so glad that I did the research & had the appropriate medication already on hand (from a Shingles flare up in March) to self-medicate now! The Dr. back in March wanted me to take 2 pills for 5 days, but gave me a prescription for 30 just in case I needed more! I guess it's a good thing I had that small flare up in March so that I'd have the extras on hand for this!