Just diagnosed with Bell’s palsy? Here is the first thing you should know. The good thing? It is not a death sentence. No matter how bad you feel or it looks right now.
DID I JUST HAVE A STROKE?
Waking up one day with (most commonly) half your face paralyzed and not responding to any of your command can be a terrifying experience.
“Did I just have a stroke?”is a common question that comes to the mind of people that went through or are currently dealing with Bell’s palsy.Most people have never heard of Bell’s palsy and consulting with their physician will rule in/ out a stroke and a Bell’s palsy diagnosis. But generally, if only your face is involved and your arm and leg have maintained their full strength and range of motion, there is less chance that you are dealing with a stroke.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
It is important to remember that most anyone affected by Bell’s palsy will recover within 2-6 months on average. 71% of people will recover with no complications within 6 months. In general, you want to see at least some improvement within the first 6 weeks. For people in the other 29%, the things you do (or don’t do) early in the recovery will greatly affect how you recover. But that’s another topic for another post for another day. But above all, don’t be scared by the fact that your physician will likely not give you an exact time frame for your recovery… Because they don’t know. Nobody knows.
STAY POSITIVE!
There is a high variability in the speed of recovery. Slow progress can be discouraging. Positive thinking and disposition affects your nervous system and healing, and I think positivity should be prescribed as part of your rehab program. If you are stressed and surrounded by stress, you need to distance yourself from it. It might be taking some time off work to give your body days to weeks to promote less stress. And it can be asking people in your household to be mindful and considerate.
Try to circle yourself with calming environments, times and people during your recovery. Meditation and using meditations phone app could be helpful here.
STAY AWAY FROM INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
Don’t believe all (personal) recommendations you read or hear is applicable to your specific condition and you. Social media and online forum can be very confusing and contradictory. They can be very helpful too, but the amount of information can be an overload and it can be hard to know what to believe or not and what will work for you.But the one thing is to stay positive and believe in your recovery. Bell’s Palsy happens to the best of us and most recover…
Browse through our blog for much more information on Bell’s palsy.
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