My actual due date is May 22... but because of my Bell's Palsy, they have moved the c-section up to May 2.... 3 weeks early!! This baby is definitely measuring a lot smaller than Maree and it doesn't help that I am not eating much b/c my tastebuds don't work, and my mouth doesn't really work either, so it is hard to eat or even drink (they are taking her b/c she's stressed, I'm stressed, and I keep losing weight.. I lost 4 pounds in a week :(!!... so I could be going from having Maree, 9lbs 3 oz, to a little tiny thing!! We will see!!
Now for the Bell's Palsy Update
It has been a rough 2.5 weeks I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I find it funny ... which isn't that often... when I make a crazy face and only half of it responds, or when I can make wrinkles on one side of my forehead, but not the other... But usually it is hard.. like in moments where I'm truly trying to laugh hard, or if I end up breaking down and crying.... I can honestly say it is like watching a freak show-- only half my face laughs/cries etc.
Apparently Marc and I need to buy some lottery tickets too, because this only affects about 40 out of every 100,000 a year (it is 3 times more likely in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy tho)... I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Basically I have nerve damage to my face - most recover in 3-6 months.... but some never recover b/c the nerve is too damaged (I've met 2 who haven't recovered)... I'm praying that isn't me. Anyway, for those of you who don't know what the symptoms are... I literally have all of these:
- paralysis on one or rarely both sides of the face
- drooping of the eyelid (this is my most mild symptom as of now)
- drooping of the mouth - (not attractive!!)
- drooling when drinking/eating (this is awesome if I forget and it ends up all over me)
- dryness of the eye and mouth (I've never finished a bottle of eye drops in my life.. and I've gone through 1 a week!)
- not being able to blink/taping the eye shut at night (This is not fun/painful to take off in the a.m.. and not to mention it's super hot)
- loss of taste (I have to force myself to eat b/c nothing has any taste)
- pain and discomfort around the jaw and behind the ear (this was soooo bad the first week; it felt like someone was stabbing me behind my ear - I feel like I never slept b/c of it)
- headache (This one just presented itself.. I'm on day 2 of a migraine)
- hypersensitivity to sound on the affected side (holding maree while she cries on that side is like crippling...or being in church with the music etc. It is so painful it brings tears to my eyes without me being able to even stop them!!)
- impaired speech - (I can't hardly say words that start with f, b, or p - this is so frustrating b/c I hate repeating myself multiple times)
- dizziness
Like I said, it's been 2.5 weeks... and it's been hard/embarrassing/frustrating/humbling... Maree will do something funny and want me to smile, and I can't, which breaks my heart. And again, taking baby #2 doesn't guarantee it will help anything, it will just cause her less stress!!
I am trying a treatment a friend of mine tried out here.. she had Vitamin B12 injected into her facial nerve (I guess this vitamin helps repair nerves). I do this tomorrow and am nervous, but I'm kinda willing to try anything to see if it will help. Looking at my 32 weeks pregnant picture below makes me tear up just seeing how easily my face USED to smile.. and then knowing what it looks like now. You'd never know I was smiling now - more grimacing!! Keep me in your prayers!! Next week we will have a new baby!!!
Thinking and praying for you, girl. I know it will all work out & will seem just like a bad dream after it's all said and done. Glad they have decided to take her a little early if she's stressed. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing your pictures.
ReplyDeleteI want to tell you that you are in my prayers.
Tom Tom