A quick summary.

It’s been quite some time since my last post and update about my experiences with and recovery from Bell’s Palsy. I was diagnosed on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 with Bell’s Palsy. During my own search for information on the internet I discovered good information was difficult to find. Bell’s Palsy is not a condition most people are familiar with and the word “palsy” in the name incorrectly makes some think of cerebral palsy, a much different disorder. Eventually I did find some great resources of information and support and after reading the experiences of others with Bell’s Palsy, I felt I might be able to make my recovery easier to tolerate by sharing it with others. Shortly after my diagnosis, I begin writing about my experiences here on Galindo.me (formerly flyinggalindo.com). In addition to writing about my experiences, I began taking a series of photographs of my face to track my recovery over time. I’m really glad I did. The photographs showed me the small progress I was making that otherwise was hard to see as well as gave me hope in those tough, early days.

The response.

Since that time I have been amazed and humbled by the number of people from around the world who have visited my site and were either suffering from Bell’s Palsy themselves or knew someone who was suffering from the condition. I received countless supportive comments and emails thanking me for sharing my experiences. These people were looking for information, advice and, mostly, just reassurance they would be OK and would get better. This response had a profound impact on me. (Thank you and my best wishes to each of you – DG)

What took so long?

I had intended to write an update several times in the last few years and have several batches of updated photographs showing my progress that have never seen the light of day. Rather than make excuses or go through all the reasons “why” it took me so long to post an update, let me just say it’s “better late than never”.

The remains of my Bell’s Palsy.

Three years later, most external signs of me having Bell’s Palsy are gone. In fact by September 2008, six months after the first onset, I got to the point where I am today. I say most external signs are gone but there are a few lingering after effects. Externally, my right eye still gets a little lazy at times. I sometimes feel a twitching in my right eyelid, primarily after stressful days or when I’m lacking sleep. When I smile big (and I’ll admit I’m a big smiler – is “smiler” a word?) the right side of my mouth doesn’t curve up as much as the left. You can see these things in my latest photos below but I think I may be the only one that notices them.

One strange side-effect of the healing and re-wiring of the facial nerve is how my tear ducts in my right eye and right side of my nose react when I eat. Because these nerves are so close the ones that control the salivary glands, it appears they now react by watering and running when I eat. It’s now easy for people to see when I think food is good because it looks like my right eye is tearing up and I have to blow my nose!  I admit, it’s kind of strange, but it really isn’t a big deal, and a small inconvenience considering where I was.

Updated photographs.

Aside from being three years older and having more gray hair, my face has returned mostly to normal, whatever that means. The left column in the following series of photographs are from April 19th, 2008. The pictures in the right column were taken April 12th, 2011.

I’d love to hear more comments or questions from anyone interested in my experience with Bell’s Palsy. Thanks for following my progress!

Yesterday, I went to see my doctor for a follow-up appointment. On the surface, I look like I’m pretty much back to normal. He noticed that my eyebrows and smile aren’t as symmetrical as they normally are – something I’m aware of as well. Still, most people can’t see anything now. I mentioned to him that I still feeling some aching in the muscles where my chin meets my neck and a few other small areas around my face. He said that, although I’m taking a little longer than most to fully recover, I’m pretty close and that it should probably take care of itself. At this point I don’t have any appointments scheduled to go back for a follow-up on this unless something changes and needs attention.

I’ve heard others say after recovering from Bell’s Palsy that any pain or strange feeling around their face makes them wonder if it’s returning. I have had that same experience recently. It may come back to stress. I get these aches and pains when I don’t get enough rest or let the little things get to me. I’m going to try to be conscious about getting a little more exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep.

I’ve been pretty busy with some other projects lately. Because of that, I’m going to get back to writing some “normal” non-Bell’s Palsy related posts. But don’t worry – I’ll update periodically on my progress.

Below: Progress pictures – taken Sunday, June 15th, 2008:

Straight Face 04/12/08:	Straight Face 06/15/08:
Smile 04/12/08:	Smile 06/15/08:
Eyes Closed 04/12/08:	Eyes Closed 06/15/08:
Raised Eyebrows 04/12/08:	Raised Eyebrows 06/15/08:
Smile – Left Side 04/16/08:	Smile – Left Side 06/15/08:
Smile – Right Side 04/16/08:	Smile – Right Side 06/15/08:

Since My Last Post

I don’t know about everyone else, but for me, May has been an extremely busy month. I had been hoping to post more frequent updates on my recovery. Today is a big milestone though. It is 50 days since I was first diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. I’m going to try to quickly bring everything up to date here. Here’s what’s been going on since my last update on May 11th:

First, the right side of my mouth is beginning to turn upward again. I didn’t notice it until I compared my recent pictures with the last set. Next, when I smile big, the sensation of tightness or laziness is going away. Plus, my right cheek is pulling back more naturally. Finally, when I raise my right eye, the creases and wrinkles have mostly returned to normal. I never thought I’d say this, but those wrinkles are a welcome sight!

If I had to put a percentage on my recovery, I’d say I feel like I’m somewhere around 85% recovered!

My Recent Doctor’s Visit

I visited my doctor a little over a week ago for a follow-up appointment. He assured me that my progress was really good and that I look much better than my previous visit. I mentioned a few things I was still experiencing: my sense of taste not quite right (things on my right side tasted metallic), periodic pain in my neck and ear, occasional headaches. He’s been good about covering the bases with each visit and not making assumptions. Although everything is returning to normal, he wants me to come back in mid-June to make sure the recovery continues before he releases me from care.

Progress Pictures

My most recent pictures were taken a few days ago. Comparing my smile between 5/11 and 5/25, it seems to look more natural now. And what about my “Smile – Right Side” photo near the bottom?

It seems the Bell’s Palsy “snarl” that was my right profile has now mostly disappeared! I’m going to continue to take pictures even though the degree of change is not as noticeable.

I’ll be watching for improvement in my smile and in my right eye not looking so “tired”. All in all, I’m pretty pleased with where I’m at.

Straight Face 04/12/08:

Straight Face 05/11/08:

Straight Face 05/25/08:

More Pictures…

Smile 04/12/08:	Smile 05/11/08:	Smile 05/25/08:
Eyes Closed 04/12/08:	Eyes Closed 05/11/08:	Eyes Closed 05/25/08:
Raised Eyebrows 04/12/08:	Raised Eyebrows 05/11/08:	Raised Eyebrows 05/25/08:
Smile-Left Side 04/16/08:	Smile-Left Side 05/11/08:	Smile-Left Side 05/25/08:
Smile-Right Side 04/16/08:	Smile-Right Side 05/11/08:	Smile-Right Side 05/25/08:

The effects of stress and fatigue.

It’s been about 8 days since my last progress report.  Originally, I was going to post on May 9th, a month to the day I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy.  With the busy and eventful week I’ve had, it had to wait until today.

I wasn’t sleeping well this past week.  I took pictures yesterday, with the intention of using those for an update, but I felt exhausted and had a headache.  Instead, I decided to close my eyes, lie on the couch, and take a well needed nap.  I really needed that.

I took pictures again today, after sleeping better last night.  I decided to add another column below.  Comparing the April 12th, May 10th and today’s pictures, there is definitely marked improvement.  However, I think the effects of fatigue and stress from this past week are visible in the pictures taken yesterday, May 10th.

So what was all the stress and stuff going on that was causing me not to sleep well?  It doesn’t really matter.  What is important to recognize is how stress and not getting enough sleep make it more difficult for our bodies to take care of themselves.

I’ll try to be more aware of that now.

Progress Pictures:

Straight Face 04/12/08:

Straight Face 05/10/08:

Straight Face 05/11/08 (today):

More Pictures…

Smile 04/12/08:	Smile 05/10/08:	Smile (today) 05/11/08:
Eyes Closed 04/12/08:	Eyes Closed 05/10/08: Forgot to take the “Eyes Closed” shot yesterday. Goes to show how tired I was.	Eyes Closed 05/11/08:
Raised Eyebrows 04/12/08:	Raised Eyebrows 05/10/08:	Raised Eyebrows 05/11/08:
Smile-Left Side 04/16/08:	Smile-Left Side 05/10/08:	Smile-Left Side 05/11/08:
Smile-Right Side 04/16/08:	Smile-Right Side 05/10/08:	Smile-Right Side 05/11/08:

Here are a couple of lessons I learned this week:

Lesson 1: Be Patient and Don’t Rush Recovery

This was a week I realized that, as amazing as our bodies are at healing themselves, recovery still takes time.

Even though externally my Bell’s Palsy isn’t as noticeable to others, the nerve functions to the BP-affected right side of my face and eyelid still have a lot of healing to do. Because of my recent improvement, I started to return to my normal work habits this week. I was running around, talking a lot and not taking the necessary time to rest.

The problem is, my right eye still doesn’t fully blink or create tears like it should. In the last couple of days, I wasn’t using the artificial tear drops as often or closing my eyes to let them rest as much. At the end of those days, I felt drained again, my right eye dry and aching, having to put my eye patch on just to let it rest.

As far as my speech goes, I thought it was completely back to normal. On Wednesday afternoon, I was conducting a brief, ten-minute training session in front of 40 or 50 people. As I was trying to project my voice, I still had those occasional “blow-out’s” with words that have hard consonants that require you to purse your lips.

I’m going to try to remind myself to take it easy. The world won’t fall apart if I stop to rest every once in awhile.

Lesson 2: Even the Small Things We Do Can Make a Difference

This week I received number of emails and comments on my blog. It’s amazing the number of people around the country and world who have recently been diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. In many cases, they are unsure of what to expect and scared, the same as I was a few weeks ago. Often, they get little to no information, let alone reassurance, from their doctor. And I’m not blaming the doctors either. Bell’s Palsy is pretty rare, and most doctors don’t know what to do with it. Aside from prescribing medication to prevent further damage to the affected nerves, there really isn’t much they can do.

In the emails and comments I’ve received, several people have told me, that by sharing my experience, I was helping them overcome some of their fear and giving them hope for recovery. I was really touched by this.

To those of you I have never met but wished me a speedy recovery, thank you. You made a difference too.

Side-by-Side Progress Pictures #5

Pictures in the left column were taken Saturday, April 12th, 2008 (except where noted on the side profile smiling photos).

Pictures in the right column were taken this morning, Saturday, May 3rd, 2008.

Straight Face 04/12/08:

Straight Face 05/03/08 (Today):

More Pictures…

Smile 04/12/08:

Smile 05/03/08 (Today):

Eyes Closed 04/12/08:

Eyes Closed 05/03/08 (Today):

Raised Eyebrows 04/12/08:

Raised Eyebrows 05/03/08 (Today):

Smile – Left Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Left Side 05/03/08 (Today):

Smile – Right Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Right Side 05/03/08 (Today):

Sort of an “easter egg”

This image didn’t quite fit into the flow of my progress pictures above. So, here’s a link to my “extreme smile photo“. Just to give you an idea why I try to smile subtly these days.

A Wrinkle At A Time

As I walked into my office yesterday afternoon, a co-worker, after not seeing me for a day, exclaimed “David! Your face is back!” Prior to having Bell’s Palsy and the way we playfully joke with each other at work, a comment like that would probably have been followed by a witty punch line. This time however, it was sincere. And it was nice to hear too.

The word on the street is that my smile is returning to the right side of my face. All the things that make a smile possible – mouth turning up, squinting of the eye, raising the eyebrow – are returning to normal, a wrinkle at a time. Who would have thought wrinkles were a good thing? I do now.

Side-by-Side Progress Pictures #4

After three weeks, I think the following pictures are a significant milestone. I’m doing my best to take natural-looking photos. If it looks like I’m smirking – I apologize.

Pictures in the left column were taken Saturday, April 12th, 2008 (except where noted on the side profile smiling photos).

Pictures in the right column were taken this morning, Wednesday, April 30th, 2008.

Straight Face 04/12/08:

Straight Face 04/30/08 (Today):

More Progress Pictures…

Smile 04/12/08:

Smile 04/30/08 (Today):

Eyes Closed 04/12/08:

Eyes Closed 04/30/08 (Today):

Raised Eyebrows 04/12/08:

Raised Eyebrows 04/30/08 (Today):

Smile – Left Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Left Side 04/30/08 (Today):

Smile – Right Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Right Side 04/30/08 (Today):

Still Recovering

As far as what still needs recovery:

I’m still waiting to get the full sense of taste back on the right side of my tongue. My right eye doesn’t seem to water or tear up like my left eye yet. My right sinus seems to get drier than the left. Loud noises or me speaking in a loud voice causes a “booming” sound in my right ear – this is pretty uncomfortable. Right eyebrow raises partially. The muscle in my right cheek doesn’t contract like the muscle in my left cheek.

Check back for an update!

Getting Better

Today is two weeks since my first set of pictures tracking my recovery from Bell’s Palsy. I’m really glad I decided to take the pictures, even though I admit it was really hard for me to look at them at first. At the most difficult moments during the last 18 days, I was able to compare and notice the slight changes in the pictures. This made it was easier for me to keep my spirits up.

The muscles around my right eye are starting to respond more now. The right side of my mouth is turning up just ever so slightly – which is helpful when you’re trying to smile. I went to wedding last night and, though I felt fairly good, it still feels awkward when I know that emotions like laughter and happiness don’t appear like they should. The sense of taste on the right side of my tongue is still subdued (best way I can describe it). I’m hoping that comes back soon because food in general has tasted bland since this all began. My speech is pretty close to normal. However, the last couple of hours in the evening I started feeling really fatigued trying to say certain words. It reminds me that I still have a way to go.

Side-by-Side Progress Pictures #3

Today’s pictures were taken after spending quite a bit of time working on my blog and its template. I notice my right eye in the “eyes closed” shot is slightly open – I’m going to have to let it rest for awhile after I finish this post.

The following pictures in the left column were taken Saturday, April 12th, 2008 (except the side profile smiling photos).

The pictures in the right column were taken this afternoon, Saturday, April 26rd, 2008.

Straight Face 04/12/08:

Straight Face 04/26/08 (Today):

More pictures…

Smile 04/12/08:

Smile 04/26/08 (Today):

Eyes Closed 04/12/08:

Eyes Closed 04/26/08 (Today):

Raised Eyebrows 04/12/08:

Raised Eyebrows 04/26/08 (Today):

Smile – Left Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Left Side 04/26/08 (Today):

Smile – Right Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Right Side 04/26/08 (Today):

A Gift on My Birthday

It’s been three days since my last post and four since my last set of pictures. With the busy week I’ve been having, I took a couple days off working on my computer at home. The good news is: I’m starting to get some movement back. It started as a twitch around my right eye Monday morning.

I’m feeling the ability to show a little more expression. However, I realize at the end of each day how much energy my body is using to recover and regenerate this nerve that’s been damaged. For anybody reading that has experienced this, you can probably relate. I’ve been pretty tired at the end of each day where I can’t wait to get home and just close my eyes for awhile. Today was no exception, but I’ll take being tired if it means I’m getting better.

Guess what Monday happened to be? My 39th birthday. The improvement may have been small, but for me, was quite an impressive gift.

Side-by-Side Progress Pictures #2

As before, the pictures in the left column were taken Saturday, April 12th, 2008 (except the side profile smiling photos).

The pictures in the right column were taken this evening, Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008.

Straight Face 04/12/08:

Straight Face 04/23/08 (Today):

More pictures…

Smile 04/12/08:

Smile 04/23/08 (Today):

Eyes Closed 04/12/08:

Eyes Closed 04/23/08 (Today):

Raised Eyebrows 04/12/08:

Raised Eyebrows 04/23/08 (Today):

Smile – Left Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Left Side 04/23/08 (Today):

Smile – Right Side 04/16/08:

Smile – Right Side 04/23/08 (Today):

Side-by-Side Progress Pictures #1

Today is one week since my first set of pictures. I thought it might be interesting to compare where I’m at today side-by-side with those I took last Saturday morning.

I’m not going to analyze them too much. For me, I know that most of the improvement is with my right eye. It’s closing just slightly better which really helps with keeping it from drying out.

The pictures in the right column were taken Saturday, April 12th, 2008, with the exception of the side profile smiling photos. I decided to start adding that perspective on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008.

The pictures in the right column were taken today, Saturday, April 19th, 2008.

Straight Face: 04/12/08	Straight Face: 04/19/08 (Today)
Smile: 04/12/08	Smile: 04/19/08 (Today)
Eyes Closed: 04/12/08	Eyes Closed: 04/19/08 (Today)
Raised Eyebrows: 04/12/08	Raised Eyebrows: 04/19/08 (Today)
Smile – Left Side: 04-16-08	Smile – Left Side: 04-19-08 (Today)
Smile – Right Side: 04-16-08	Smile – Right Side: 04-19-08 (Today)

What’s the Weather Like Where You Are?

It’s still really dry here in Arizona, but you can’t beat the temperature:

If you’re someplace where it’s cold right now, don’t be too jealous. We’re just a few weeks away from daily triple-digits!!

David G’s Bell’s Palsy “Survival Kit”

My temporary facial paralysis brings on some additional issues.  My right eye doesn’t fully close on its own and stay moist.  My sinus on the right side has the a similar drying problem.  Same problem with my lips.  Here are a “few” things that have become part of my daily maintenance kit and travel nicely in a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag:

Thera Tears Lubricant Eye Drops, Saline nasal spray, Burt’s Bee’s Beeswax Lip Balm,  tissues, Eye patch, Gauze pad (for under the eye patch).

In addition to these, at night I use: Thera Tears Liquid Gel Eye Drops (longer lasting for overnight use), more gauze and medical tape to close the eye over night. I admit it becomes a chore at times but these are things that have helped me feel a little more comfortable

Lunches for An Uncooperative Mouth

I try to take my lunch to work a few days a week.  It only takes a little planning and usually ends up being healthier, more cost-effective and satisfying anyway. Right now, the right side of my mouth doesn’t open as wide or control food in the same way.  Having smaller, bite size options seems to work best:

Having straws and a good napkin come in handy as well. I can’t wait until I can eat a big messy slice of pizza again.