Day From Hell- Bells Palsy

This is what I look like. And not usually. Trust me I've been asked just today if I'm ok. Man people like to stare and have zero shame. I guess I don't blame them though. I probably would too. But I'm rude like that.

So starting Sunday night I started to have really watery eyes but nothing terrible. Just thought I was tired.

Next day (monday) I wake up and my eyes were acting crazy. When I was driving Jayda to preschool I felt like something was off. It felt like when you've been inside all day and you step into the sun and your eyes arent used to the light. Except it wasnt going away. It kinda freaked me out.

When it got progressively worse throughout the day I also noticed that my tongue was completely numb.

I started to swell really bad as well so I was worried about pre-e. I checked my BP and it was 138/92 so a tad high. I called my OB nurse and she talked to the dr and wanted me to go into L&D just to be safe.

So off we went.

No pre-e. Thank gosh. Urine=no protein. Blood=good. Couldn't figure it out. They called in the OB hospitalist and it was this very blunt tiny asian lady. I thought she was such a hoot. She looked at me with this wierd look and asked me to smile. She cocked her head and looked at me like I was a freak. She asked me if I looked like that usually. I felt like she thought she was stepping on a line because who knows if this freak usually looks like this. I hadnt looked in a mirror so I was kind of confused. She kept saying, "i'll get you a mirror. Let me go get a mirror."

She left and I decided to go to the bathroom. I smiled in the mirror and just busted up laughing. It was bad.

She came back in and I immediately said, "Holy shit, I just looked at my face and NO that is not normal." She just laughed and said I mean I didnt know...but it looks like you may have Bells Palsy.

Baby looked great. Bells Palsy doesnt effect the pregnancy thankfully. But then there was nothing they could do since its not OB related anymore. They wanted me to go to instacare to get looked at to get treated.

Went to instacare and they didn't want to touch me with a 10 ft pole. So they sent me to the ER.

Go to ER tell them my symptoms...one of which was facial paralysis. I've never been taken back so fast. Coo with me. They thought I was maybe having a stroke since thats a symptom of a stroke.

Got seen right away. Diagnosed me wiht Bells not stoke. Sent me home and said to come back if anything else was numb besides my face.

5am Right arm was tingling. Hands very swollen and weak. Freaking out I was having a stroke. Went back to ER.

Get evaluated. Still think its just Bells. Order MRI just in case. Had to wait 2 1/2 hours for it to become available. Have bloody discharge. Baby looked good though. MRI came back normal. Sent me packing finally at 10am.

OB appt at 1. Baby doing great. Now 3 lbs 5oz (40th percentile), and cervix long (3.45). Given the OK to take steriods and antivirals to help treat. Asked to come back Friday to follow up.

Neurologist appt at 3. Confirmed again just bells. Cant tell me why I'm so swollen and hands weak and arm tingling. Send me over to the lab just to run additional tests to rule out other possible diagnoses.

Run to pharamacy to get meds.

Needless to say I'm exhausted. I look like a pirate. All I'm missing is the eye patch. I also am so swollen I look like a water buffalo. I can't close my right eye so I have to manually do it. Tonight I'll have to tape it shut. I have no control over the whole right side of my face. Watching me suck out of a straw is comical. At least to me. I have continuous runny nose or bloody nose just on the one right nostril. And I can't look in the mirror without either laughing or crying hysterically. Ok no crying just laughing. Maybe I'm in denial?

I guess through all of this. I'll take a jacked up face over pre-e and delivering early. I'm not sure if thats just pure desperation or motherly love.

So for another day I'm pregnant and thats all I care about.