I am 41 years old and generally in good health. I got the regular flu shot in September, and the H1N1 flu shot in early October. Then, in Novemeber I had a cold that would not go away. I had tried 3 different types of antibiotics with still no relief. Then, one week prior to BP it seemed like I had a brand new cold that started as a sinus infection and went to my "right" ear. Then I woke up Dec 28, 2009 and when I was brushing my teath I noticed that the "left" side of my tongue was numb. I then noticed a slight droop to the left side of my face, I thought I was having a stroke. I went to the ER, and got diagnosed with BP. My symptoms were mild that day, it took a full 24 hours for the full onset. At first I had a LOT of facial twitching, now 3 weeks into it, the facial twitching has stopped. I was on Prednisone and Valtrex, but I don't think it made any difference, because I am still paralized on my left side of my face. I had a LOT of pain behind my left ear and down my neck. It was debilitating. I tried many kinds of pain treatments prescribed by my doctor, but in the end the only thing that worked was time.
I am a registered nurse by trade, and it is very hard for me to be in the "patient" role. I keep looking in the mirror for any glimmer of hope for movement in my face, but I don't see any difference. It is very hard emotionally to stay positive. I am praying every day that I get better. One of the hardest parts is that I just got married in September of this past year, and I feel unattractive. My husband is supportive and says that I am still beautiful, but let's be honest....I have a mirror!!!
