Keen weight-lifter Brad found his confidence hit rock bottom when he was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy.
Brad in Krakow
Prior to my onset of Bell’s palsy I went on two back-to-back stag do’s in the middle of May 2016. The first was to Benidorm for three days, I then landed back in the UK for 24 hours before going out to Krakow for a further three days. I am really into my weight training and so are most of the people on the stag do’s so I had 12 weeks dry from alcohol and eating junk food, a really strict diet along with a lot of weight training to gain size for the holidays.
I went on the stag do’s and drunk myself stupid, I was eating what I wanted and just purely enjoying the experience. I came back from Krakow and everything was fine and we all went on one night out in our home town of Halifax to end it all. I woke up the morning after the night out and realised while I was cleaning my apartment that the left side of my face was ever so slightly dropped, but I thought nothing of it and went to meet my friends in Nando’s. I was really struggling with my drink and I was pretty much having to bite the straw on the right side on my mouth to drink. I thought I had just drank too much Vodka Red Bull the night before and my mouth was swelled from the sugar, so I didn’t do anything about it.
It was the May bank holiday weekend and we were all going out again in Halifax. I was tired from all the drinking and late nights so I went for a mid-afternoon nap. While having the nap I had a dream a fly was in my left eye and it caused my eye to vibrate which woke me up. Again I didn’t think anything of it but I now realise it was my first eye spasm. I got showered and ready to meet my mates for pre-drinks before going into town and I couldn’t drink my Jack Daniels and coke, I physically couldn’t take down the liquid or open my mouth wide enough, but with some peer pressure from my mates telling me to ‘man up’ I went to town.
Brad in June 2016
Once in the first nightclub I was still struggling to drink my drink and I went to the bathroom on my own to see what was going on. When I looked in the mirror I was shocked, my face was totally one-sided and I realised that I couldn’t move my left eye or even close it. I rushed to say bye to my mates and get a taxi home and I then drove to my mum’s to see if she knew what it was. My mum thought I was having a stroke so she rushed me to A&E.
I waited five hours in A&E to see somebody who after all that time waiting told me it was Bell’s palsy and to ‘google it’. No advice on how to treat my eye, no mention of steroids or nothing, just to go home and ‘google it’. To me I thought it was something of nothing so I went home and went to bed at my mum’s as it was late. I woke up the next morning and I couldn’t eat, it was physically impossible so I had to just have soup with a straw for the next few days. I didn’t really leave the house as my speech was awful and I didn’t like how I looked.
I did some online research and I realised how serious the condition actually was and I booked an appointment the following Monday to see a GP (I already had the week booked off work so I used this to recover). I went to see my GP and I was given a sick note for two weeks and a prescription for some eye drops, again not much guidance of what I can do to make it better. By this stage my improvement was very little but I had however managed to eat but very slowly and only on my right side (to this day I cannot eat peanut butter).
Brad in January 2017
I had improvements but very slowly. October was the first time I could sort of close my eye, it’s not a full close or a blink but with force I could shut it.
I only drank a few times in this stage as I was very self-conscious and ashamed of how I looked. I sort of isolated myself and did things on my own. I would go to the gym late at night when it was quiet and at work I would just stay at my desk and try to avoid any form of contact. I’m still like this now when meeting new people, I’m terrified.
I have realised my left eye seems to close with everything I do so eating, smiling, drinking and even talking and yawning. I have no control over this. I have had this now for seven months and my confidence is at rock bottom. I feel this condition doesn’t get the help it deserves, it’s truly awful and I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.
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.