The Bell’s palsy continues to trouble me.  In fact the faint glimmer of ability to smile with the right side of my mouth has completely gone.  Effectively a reversal of the only recovery it has made since being diagnosed.

It really is an irritating swine of a disease.  The wonky smile is annoying.  The inability to swallow liquids on one side of my face embarrassing.  The tissue split/heal/split/heal routine in my right nostril stings.  And my left nostril leaks occasionally and I can’t subtly sniff it back up.  In addition a tiny trickling nosebleed occurs throughout the day and the clotting blood makes the tissue beneath sore.

So I went to my GP with a sore eye.  It’s been that way for six months and the big problem is that because of the dreaded palsy I can’t close it.  Night time allows sleep because the eyeball spins upward into my head making me look like Hogwarts teacher Mad Eye Moody.

I now tape down the eye at night.  This involves having no sight, cutting the surgical tape in darkness, hopefully avoiding slicing off a finger, and then applying it across upper eyelid and cheek hoping not to put sticky substance on the eyeball.

My GP spent a good four seconds looking at it on Thursday before telling me she’d referred me to the eye clinic.  Excitingly the clinic called within hours and instead of having a lie-in tomorrow I’ve got an appointment!

I’ve no idea what they’re going to do.  I’m assuming shine some lights and prescribe more eye drops.

Even worse, I’ve read that Bell’s palsy sufferers are 40% more likely to develop cancer within five years.  Can’t wait for that …

Thinking About My £8,000 Flights to Boston