THE DAY MY FACE FELL – AND DAY 1 OF 30 DAYS OF GRATITUDE
Sometimes when I don’t get enough sleep my eye will twitch. It happens often and always goes away after I get good sleep.
That is until last Saturday.
All day long my face kept twitching, not by my eyes, but around my eyes and eyebrows, and my mouth and chin. When I mentioned it to my husband he brushed it off, saying everybody has twitches, it’s no big deal. Then he followed that by, “Ok, hon… I know it’s going to be hard, but as we get older, let’s not panic about every little ache and pain we get, and focus on the good health that we have.” I thought to myself, yeah, we really have been blessed with good health all our lives.
Fast forward to that evening.
I was the last one awake in the house, and brushing my teeth when I realized I couldn’t spit the toothpaste out. My mouth fumbled as I tried, it felt like I had just been to the dentist and was very numb. I tried a few times, then looked into the mirror and smiled. Only half my face could smile.
It came on so quickly, and I panicked a little. So I went straight to the computer to look up my symptoms and Bell’s Palsy came up. But what scared me, was the part that said a doctor will check for a brain tumor or stroke! Apparently it didn’t scare me bad enough to wake up my husband, because I was so tired I went straight to bed.
The next morning, I woke up and nothing had changed. I told my husband that I needed to tell him something and I needed him to help me NOT to panic. When I explained what was going on, he kind of panicked a little and wanted to take me in to a doctor right away. I insisted on going to church and told him I feel fine to teach my lesson, then we can call a doctor afterward.
All morning, I had to fight back tears, imagining that I had a brain tumor or something terrible like that and how my family’s life would change. I still have two of the five children at home, ages 10 and 12 who need their mother!
After church, we quickly ate some food, and ran to take our family Christmas picture that we had planned, because that was a must….. haha! Then straight to Instacare.
Long story I know, anyone still with me?
The verdict: I do have Bell’s Palsy.
It was not caused by a stroke or a brain tumor.
It came on as a result of a sore throat.
I will be on a steroid pill for 10 days, and I should regain control of my facial muscles in about a week.
*Insert me throwing my hands up to the sky and singing Hallelujah!!!*
My life seems good again, and I am so thankful! Boy did that have me worried. How fast life can change. God gives, and God can take away.
Meanwhile, I am trying not to smile very big or it’s reeeeeally obvious.
When I laugh, it looks hysterical!
Fast forward to that evening.
I was the last one awake in the house, and brushing my teeth when I realized I couldn’t spit the toothpaste out. My mouth fumbled as I tried, it felt like I had just been to the dentist and was very numb. I tried a few times, then looked into the mirror and smiled. Only half my face could smile.
It came on so quickly, and I panicked a little. So I went straight to the computer to look up my symptoms and Bell’s Palsy came up. But what scared me, was the part that said a doctor will check for a brain tumor or stroke! Apparently it didn’t scare me bad enough to wake up my husband, because I was so tired I went straight to bed.
The next morning, I woke up and nothing had changed. I told my husband that I needed to tell him something and I needed him to help me NOT to panic. When I explained what was going on, he kind of panicked a little and wanted to take me in to a doctor right away. I insisted on going to church and told him I feel fine to teach my lesson, then we can call a doctor afterward.
All morning, I had to fight back tears, imagining that I had a brain tumor or something terrible like that and how my family’s life would change. I still have two of the five children at home, ages 10 and 12 who need their mother!
After church, we quickly ate some food, and ran to take our family Christmas picture that we had planned, because that was a must….. haha! Then straight to Instacare.
Long story I know, anyone still with me?
The verdict: I do have Bell’s Palsy.
It was not caused by a stroke or a brain tumor.
It came on as a result of a sore throat.
I will be on a steroid pill for 10 days, and I should regain control of my facial muscles in about a week.
*Insert me throwing my hands up to the sky and singing Hallelujah!!!*
My life seems good again, and I am so thankful! Boy did that have me worried. How fast life can change. God gives, and God can take away.
Meanwhile, I am trying not to smile very big or it’s reeeeeally obvious.
When I laugh, it looks hysterical!
This is our family Christmas picture and if you look closely, you can see that I was holding back a nice big smile, so it wouldn’t show too much.
I will always remember this photo as “the palsy picture.”
So today, I am so grateful for good health, doctors who know what they are doing, and the good news that I won’t have to live with a paralyzed face all my life!!!!
What are you grateful for today?
I will always remember this photo as “the palsy picture.”
So today, I am so grateful for good health, doctors who know what they are doing, and the good news that I won’t have to live with a paralyzed face all my life!!!!
What are you grateful for today?
