Bells Palsy for over a year and Nerve palsy

[Diesel41]

Hi just wanted to give my experience of Bells Palsy.

I woke up one morning last April 2019 a week before I was due to start a new job with Bells although I had no idea at the time what it was.

I went to bed the night before and felt my tongue was numb but didn’t think much of it then next morning woke up with my face dropping on the right side, eye was closed, speech slurred couldn’t eat or drink so decided to go to the walk in hospital who said should of gone straight to AE. Anyway I was diagnosed with Bells and was devastated, couldn’t stop thinking why me etc and was very emotional.

I had to start my new job as couldn’t risk going off sick but really I wasn’t well and with hindsight I should of just took time off.

I managed to struggle through and cope with drinking through a straw at work and not being able to smile and getting comments from my boss about giving a harsh stare 😐

I can cope with most things about the illness but comments from employers about smiling or being quiet don’t help when your dealing with this illness.

I slowly recovered but it took 6 months to start to straighten to any extent and still no real explanation from doctors as to the cause but I had all the tests and they did say my facial nerve had a tumour causing the pressure but they would just monitor this over time but it was nothing to worry about lol.

I felt that stress played a major role in my Bells and decided as work was my major stress problem at that time it was work related stress that caused it. So I decided to not allow work to stress me out again but that’s easier said than done in our world.

I was recovering mentally enough to look for better employment and landed a new role with a local council but then two weeks into my new role I developed double vision and was in AE again this time diagnosed with 4th cranial nerve Palsy which gave me the double vision and balance problem again woke up with this one morning.

I was shocked again to have another palsy effect the other side of my face but this time so bad I could not go to work or drive and then Covid lockdown started which made everything even worse .

I had tests which are still ongoing as the neurologist is concerned that although it should not be linked to bells from last year they said it’s very rare to get another palsy so they are trying to find out why my body is attacking my nerves.

I was off work for four weeks then my balance got good enough to go back although I still have double vision but they gave me prism glasses to help me walk ok which did help at first.

I started back at my new job and although they where very understanding I have the feeling because my face looks quite normal to look at they can’t understand how it effects my day to day life from issues of confidence, and dealing with numb eyes or mouth but only from the inside which they can’t see but I can feel and makes me self conscious and even my speech appears slurred to me but people say I sound ok.

But then you then get comments from my boss two week after returning to work to say I need to smile more and be more outgoing 🤪wtf!

I have gone to great lengths to explain to my new boss how I had or have Bells Palsy and now have also got to deal with nerve eye palsy and the worry that something else will go wrong overnight on any given morning.

I don’t want to get stressed at work and am already self conscious enough without being told to smile more even though some days I can’t smile as my face is numb or my eyes are watering due to over blinking etc

I’m trying very hard to not let the comments get me to the point where I get even more problems with Bells and my recovery but Like others have described on here it’s really hard to explain to people how your face feels from the inside even though it may look like it has recovered to some extent.

It’s 14 months since I first got Bells and it’s still causing me mental and physical problems which the Doctors and employers have no idea how bad it can get. I have seriously considered having to give up work and move into my parents home to try and recover fully without having extra stresses placed on me by people who could never understand what this illness does to someone’s mental health.

I’m Male 55 but considered younger than my years but Bells seems to have aged me

[Danielle_123s]

Hi! 😊

Thankyou so much for sharing your story!

I feel I can so relate to your symptoms and struggles and how you say you find it hard to explain the ‘inner feelings’ of weirdness/numbness in your face!

I am no expert but I’m 29 female and I had bells 7 years ago and then it came again in April and still going through recovery now, there are good days and bad days where I feel my tongue doesn’t exist!?

I’ve been furloughed from my work due to corona since end of March and I feel that bells came at ‘the right time’ as I’ve been able to fully relax and feel not being in work has really really helped and I’m hopefully due to return to work in 2 weeks and I do feel ready now, even though I still have the issues with my face I feel my mental health from this time off has really benefited me!

You sound like you really really need a break from work & think you’ll feel a lot better for it!!! Your health is far more important than work right now, please take a break, find a hobby you enjoy and relax 😊

[Diesel41 in reply to Danielle_123s]

Hi

Thanks for reading it was thinking it was abit long but to be honest as you probably know that’s the short version of dealing with Bells and all the problems it brings up.

I only just started my new job and two weeks into it had nerve palsy in my left eye which causes double vision and bad balance problem so I had to go off sick for a month but think I really did or do need longer but as I’m in probation I just think they will end by contract if I go sick again and within Covid causing so many job losses I can’t really choose to go sick at this time. It’s catch 22 I stay and possibly get more stupid comments from my direct manager about smiling or not being so quiet or go off sick and then loose my job

I know my health is a priority but that’s the problem with this world, even with all the training and media coverage about mental health managers still in my experience cause too many people to become seriously ill