At 39 weeks pregnant with my second child, facial palsy (something I had never heard of previously) became an all-encompassing part of my life. A week beforehand, I had developed a pretty nasty cold and some excruciating headaches and because I was pregnant and the headaches were so severe, I was seen by the hospital a few times that week. After looking me over they couldn’t see anything really wrong.
A few days later, while brushing my teeth one morning, I realised that I couldn’t spit properly into the sink. As the day went on, my face started to look droopy and uneven and I started to panic. Concerned that I might be having a stroke, an ambulance was called and I was admitted to hospital via the Accident and Emergency department. After many investigations over the following three days, they concluded that it was ‘just a facial palsy’ and in a few weeks I’d get better. After three days in hospital, it was only then that I was given a 10-day course of steroids. However, I personally believe that had I received these sooner, I might have recovered better and more quickly.
During my pregnancy, I had experienced periods of emotional abuse inside my home. My GP believes that the pressure of what was a very difficult and stressful situation, along with the stress of pregnancy on my body, are the root causes of my palsy.
Medical staff kept telling me that in a few weeks it would pass. Then it stretched to a few months, and now, two years later, even though I am more than grateful for the recovery I have had, it has not been a full recovery and I live with pain and synkinesis as a daily reality. I wish the teams at the hospital had known the warning signs and had been able to act quicker, but it is my hope that with more research and education this will be achieved for patients in the future, and perhaps some people may be able to avoid having the condition for a lifetime.
The most heart-breaking thing for me at the time was feeling like I couldn’t smile at my newborn baby and show him how much Mummy loved him, but I also remember deciding that I wasn’t going to allow this to rob me of those precious moments and that some day I would want to look at photos of me and my son together from the start. So, I took the photos and I printed them, and I have treasured them regardless. My advice to you if you are in a similar situation would be to do the same as I am so glad now that I did.
Disclaimer: Please note that views expressed are person’s own and should not be considered a recommendation of particular medical treatments, therapies or surgeries. We would always advise you seek advice from a health professional with experience in facial palsy who can assess your individual needs.