Hi! I'm new :)

[pberggren1]

Hi Michelle:

Welcome to the group.

My GP is moving to Tofino next month. I also have relatives in Kimberly and Cranbrook. My brother lives in Salmon Arm.

[Natalie]

Hi There Michelle, gee your first symptoms sound like I was reading a page out of my book !! , glad you have found this site and hope all gos well in the future , It will be a long journey but everything will settle down to the new normal as they call it here I too ended up with bells palsy but I didnt diognosed for a while after that .

[Natalie]

ooh I forgot to mention that I LOVe Photography too I suggest a tripod but I bet you already have one . You may be able to experiment with movement you never know what you could come up with What do you shoot ?, I love landscapes lightning anything natural

[ArlaMo]

Most of my photography is kids, so a tripod is really hard! Chasing a three year old is hard enough without being attached to an extra three legs! I haven't done much in the way of landscapes, but have tried some macro - definitely have to use a tripod and even a remote shutter with that now.

Did your palsy go away with time? I woke up one morning with it and thought I had had a stroke! Luckily, mine resolved completely.

[Natalie]

Most of my photography is kids, so a tripod is really hard! Chasing a three year old is hard enough without being attached to an extra three legs! I haven't done much in the way of landscapes, but have tried some macro - definitely have to use a tripod and even a remote shutter with that now.

Did your palsy go away with time? I woke up one morning with it and thought I had had a stroke! Luckily, mine resolved completely.

true chasing kiddys with a tripod would be just silly .
exacaly the same as you , I had server ear infections headaches and just woke up with It on my left side and thought I had a stroke too ! was a very scary thing when your 19 . It did go with time . they had to drain my ear drum to relive pressure off the nerves to that side of my face . that didnt tickkle !. I have very low hearing on my left side now but my right makes up for it , I have had some much trouble with my ears over the years ( more in the first half of this disease) just happy that they are at a point that I can forget about them . when you have ear involvement Its all you ever think about and I drives you made well it did me < I spent alot of time alone. it was just to hard to try and have a conversation with anyone .

[ArlaMo]

Oh, how I know that feeling!! My poor three year old went through some mighty tantrums during the time that I couldn't hear him. Scared me to death to be home with him and not be able to hear anything. I think my older kids gave up on talking to me for awhile - I felt so out of it!

I did the ear drainage thing with the ENT a couple of times. He said it was the worst ear infection he had seen in 10 years...if only we had known what it really was.

My ears bug me - because of the tubes, my hearing doesn't "feel" right. And I can always hear my heart beating and other inner body stuff, it seems.

[Natalie]

I know what you mean by hearing the beating , im pretty sure this is your blood pumpping , it comes and gos , your ears havent settled yet as you still have a lot going on with your WG and your ears are the least of your problems ATM you do need to get to that doctor ASAP like now . you have to learn one lesson real quick with this disease DONT wait and DONT take no for and answer as it is YOUR Future and Quality of LIFE that is at stake you need to take control ., good luck , and keep us informed.

[Doug]

I love music, singing and got a cello for Christmas - unfortunately, the whole ear thing seems to have ruined what used to be close to perfect pitch and I sound like a frog when I try to sing now. My other love is photography, which has also been affected by this darn disease...or at least the meds I'm taking. From reading, it looks like my shaky hands are due to prednisone side effects?? Hard to take good photos now and I really miss it!

Anyway, trying to keep my (double...triple) chin up (oh yeah, got the moon face already) and just looking for more info and support on this journey.

Michelle - I didn't used to sing well, but once I lost hearing in one ear, I learned I really didn't sing well! Bone conduction filled me in on that fact. In my case, the joyful noise I make is silence when everyone else sings.

[jola57]

Yes well I'v got a frog inme throat that will not leave so my singing days are over too - well not entirely my car and my shower get quite an earfull

[Col 23]

Welcome ArlaMo.
Glad you at least got diagnosed correctly. Moon face and weight gain is awful but you learn to live with it. Apparently it all gets better as we get off the meds or taper.
I dont know how you are doing it with 6 kids, well done. Dont feel guilty about anything. Just focus on you as much as possible and learn to ask for help when your exhausted or feeling overwhelmed.
All the best
Col 23