Julie developed facial palsy in her teens, when she had surgery to remove a growth on the acoustic nerve. After being told for years that nothing could be done, she’s learning to smile again.
I am 46 years old and have had facial palsy since I was 19 following an operation to remove an acoustic neuroma – a non-cancerous brain tumour growing on the acoustic nerve, which helps control hearing and balance.
Directly after surgery I felt relief that I had got through a gruelling 10-hour operation and could leave behind the headaches, balance problems and impaired vision. Whilst I was devastated by the change in my appearance, I felt a determination to make the best of my situation and wrapped myself up in getting better. After returning to employment, I also immersed myself in my job.
But facial palsy changes you, and stays with you for life. I couldn’t bear to see photos of myself, and I wept at my wedding pictures. At that point I realised my self-esteem was beginning to ebb and I arranged to see a specialist at a South London hospital to investigate what could be done to restore some movement to my face. After waiting with eager anticipation for six months, I was given a 10-minute appointment with a neurosurgeon who curtly told me that my nerves wouldn’t ever recover and I would just have to accept the fact that nothing could be done.
Despite my wonderful family and friends telling me ‘you look fine’, my confidence waned further as the asymmetry in my face became exaggerated with age – I was wrinkling only on one side! It was around this time that I read an article about the facial palsy clinic at a specialist unit at a local hospital. I booked an appointment and was staggered to find an amazingly supportive set of people ready to help. After confirming my facial nerves were still in fact intact, I started a course of physiotherapy where I saw immediate improvements and whilst I know I will never recover fully, a combination of Botox treatments, facial exercises and facing up to depression has transformed how I deal with facial palsy.
Facial palsy is a bummer and although I still have moments when I catch myself in the mirror and sigh, and I still hate having photos taken, most of the time I cope fine – I now even smile at people instead of giving everyone surly looks! After 26 years of living with facial palsy I now feel I can accept it as part of who I am.
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.