Everything ground to a slow pace. The month of February continued with inquiries, research, therapies and faith. People get Bell’s Palsy any number of ways, at any age. Too much pasta in Italy prompted an intense reaction from my sister-in-law. She soon discovered that she had some food allergies – which made her ‘Raging Bull’ diet so debilitating to her. She cut out the offensive foods, and before long, she bounced back from her BP. This was in the back of my mind, but didn’t prompt me right away.
I continued with my acupuncture, which seemed fine, if not necessarily a recognizable benefit. Yes, I liked the quiet time of resting in a quiet room, despite the presence of pins stuck in me. The acupuncturist also began to use e-stim on the pins in my face. It felt odd, but not too bad. I got treated 12 times in the month of February: 3x a week. Somewhere in the middle of it, I wondered if this place was the right fit. Maybe I should consider a different acupuncture practice?
Halfway into February, I met with my Primary Care Physician. She didn’t have much of a poker face when she saw my BP face: Unmistakably, she said, that my case was between Severe and Total. She backed off a little bit as the appointment continued, but this was the first time that Fear entered the picture. My picture. She told me to see an Eye Doctor to make sure I don’t accidentally scratch my cornea — something that can easily happen. I’d been taping my eye shut each night since I first went to Urgent Care. I was also given names for a Neurologist, and for another Acupuncturist. The Optometrist saw me within the hour. Awesome. Hadn’t seen her in a couple years, but she obviously recognized the urgency of the situation. They tested my eyes, and I was given the instructions to Lubricate, Lubricate and Lubricate all day. Picked up some eye drops (forget the ‘get the red out’ variety), and some evening lube for my eye while I tape it. Yes. As much fun as it sounds.
The neurologist, on the other hand, could see me in about two weeks. When I saw him, he checked me out, but had nothing new to say. I’ve got it, and I got it pretty bad. He said I was doing the right things (though he was noncommittal on the value of acupuncture). He also said that there’s no real time-frame for healing. And, that 71% of people with BP recover; completely or partially. So…. that means there’s 29% that don’t?! Well, I still like my odds, and there was little to add. As March began I was left with that to ponder. And, in the week I paused on acupuncture (Week 5, if you’re counting), my regular acupuncturist Kieren decided to move out of the area. So now, would I stay at Aquilibrium or try someone else – maybe the place my PCP recommended.