Hello Bell's Palsy

Yesterday afternoon, Julie and I celebrated our 13th anniversary (actually occurs Monday). We had a great lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant and then we shopped for new bathroom tile. For after, we had planned to paint a giraffe sculpture at a local kilning place, but my neck was bothering me and we bailed a bit early. A few hours later, the left side of my face was paralyzed and I had a Bell's Palsy diagnosis.

My lopsided grin game is strong.

The towel is because my left eye is not being a cool bro right now.

Evidently this is caused by some inflammation of a nerve as it passes through some narrow spots. It gets pinched off and that side of the face stops working. I still have upper eyelid, so that's cool. The rest is totally non-responsive. 

It usually goes away, mostly, in 2 weeks - 6 months. Unless it doesn't - then you get to really feel picked on by the universe. I'm pretty excited to get blinking back. Without being able to fully close my eye, I've been put on a regime of various kinds of eye drops and a pirate patch.

I think I was allergic to the first kind of eye drops I tried, and that made for a long night/day. After a switch that part of things is improving. Basically, I'm eager to be functional. Right now it's all been eye care for me.

Of course I have all kinds of worries. This morning I was nervous how Greg would feel about Dad's exciting new impression of a Batman villain - I'm talking about Two Face, he's got... here's a link. Turns out, Greg gets by just fine.

Yarrr.

The urgent care doc that diagnosed me gave me a prescription for prednisone, which is intended to stop inflammation of the nerve and sometimes makes healing happen faster. I should see my family doctor early next week, depending on how scheduling goes.

After one day, I'd say the day-to-day is that prednisone gives me insomnia, eye-related problems are a huge pain in the butt, and eating is kinda silly. I think I'll be everyday functional once I get my eye care routine nailed down. And more so when the 10 days of prednisone is over. 

In wacky alternative land, I'm avoiding sugar and other "inflammation encouraging foods" - which is fine because I'm not hungry anyway - and I'm also signed up for my very first massage (because relax). Also, my experiments with different headband styles are coming along nicely.

I think I want some really cool sunglasses. Something that says, I can go outside without goggles AND it's totally not weird that my face is conveying two completely different messages right now.