Bells Palsy

This pregnancy has been really easy on me. I wasn't sick at all. I was exercising for longer than with my girls. I felt good. But something weird always has to happen with me and pregnancies. (With Emily it was a blood clot, with Allyson I had high thyroid levels) At 30 weeks, I got Bell's Palsy. On Sunday about a month ago, I noticed my taste was off and by dinner my tongue and lips on my left side were numb. I had Bell's Palsy before when I was a freshman in high school so luckily I knew that's what it was and didn't freak out too much. It has similar symptoms to a stroke. I just got annoyed and obsessed over it all night. Mike thought I was crazy but I asked for a blessing and sure enough, Monday morning I woke up and my left side was completely numb. It wasn't that bad but over the next 3 days or so, the left side of my face went completely paralyzed. This is probably 5 days into it. I was trying with all my might to smile completely and raise both of my eyebrows. This is all I got. I'm not going to lie...it was a really hard couple weeks for me. It's hard not smiling. I would avoid going places and when I went to drop off Emily at preschool, I would wear my sunglasses and give one word answers. I'm sure her teachers think I am so grumpy. I had to drink out of a straw and use eyedrops during the day.

I went directly to my OB on that Monday morning because I know you have to get medicine right away. I got some anti-virus medication but he was worried about me being on steroids (which is the main thing people take for this) and my blood thinners that I have to be on every pregnancy. I was so frustrated for the first two weeks. I went back for my next OB appointment and told him I hadn't seen any recovery so he suggested I go see the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. I went and he prescribed me the steroids even though it had already been two weeks and usually you have to get it within the first three days, but we figured it couldn't hurt. That morning I had actually seen a TINY bit of movement in my left nostril and was a little more optimistic. I would stand in the mirror and just try my hardest to raise the left corner of my mouth and nothing would happen. Luckily things started to get better and now it's been about a month and I am about 90% recovered. I notice little things but I'm sure most people can't tell.

Apparently this is common in the third trimester for pregnant women either because of swelling, a virus like a cold or stress. Mike was so amazing and he would take the girls to play at the park for a couple hours and let me rest. He helped so much and I was able to really try to recover.

 

It's funny how much you don't realize what you have until you lose it. I HATED not being able to smile or talk to people. I didn't feel like myself. Luckily it's almost gone (It can last from 3 weeks to a year). I have a lovely cold now and am pretty much done being pregnant but I'm thankful that I can smile at my kids.