Mums with Bell's Palsy?

[sorpresa_bea]

Over the past few months there's been a few mums here who were struck, like me, with Bell's Palsy.

I wonder how you're doing so far? How's your recovery and how are you coping with a newborn and all the debilitating effects of the palsy?

I'm 8 months in, since onset at 19 weeks pregnant last September. I had zero improvement for the first 3 months, and then some movement started to return, so that I can now have a wonky smile, and can almost close my eye, but still I do look very asymmetrical. Luckily, I do not seem to suffer anymore from the constant tiredness, nerve pain (very little), lack of taste in your tongue... But it did make the last few months of my pregnancy quite tough.

Still, I managed to have quite a normal looking smile for the first photo with baby in the birthing room! It must have been the oxytocin!

Would be nice to hear about how other's are doing?

 

[littlemonkey]

It's nice to talk to others in a similar boat, although not nice that we've had to go through it!

I'm only a couple of weeks in. Mine started a week before I had my son. It was pretty bad to begin with but I am starting to see and feel some improvements. I am devestated about my first pictures with my baby but I am glad that I made my husband take them anyway cos I'd regret not having them.

What treatment have you had for it sorpresa bea? I was given strong steroids in the hospital for it, but I was starting to get bad side effects on them, mainly not being able to sleep so I've stopped taking them. Like I said there is improvement now and I think I can live with my face now as it is. I still have trouble closing my eye on its own, I get pins and needles in my face when I'm tired, my smile and mouth are still a bit crooked and I struggle to talk what I'm tired. My sense of taste is probably the worst, I feel like I can't taste anything and I'm gutted costs I love my food!!

 

[sorpresa_bea]

If you're only a couple of weeks in and have had such recovery it sounds like you are doing really well. Because I was pregnant when I got it, doctors didn't want to give me any steroids or antivirals. So I just had to ride it out. Painkillers for the nerve pain and a lot of rest. I also has 25 sessions of acupuncture but they really didn't do anything for me. Lots of facial massage, even electrical stimulation (which I have actually read it can be damaging, but I really do not think anything has helped accelerate the natural process of my nerves recovering slowly by themselves.


Rest and patience, as well as believing that you will recover, I feel are the best ways to get better from this awful condition.