Fast forward to Tuesday night at 11:45 when I woke up and half my face was numb. I couldn't move it. It was the left side. Brian thought it was Bell's Palsy and would be fine so I went on to sleep. By the morning I couldn't smile normal and only half my mouth would raise up. I couldn't feel my face at all (and for some reason kept smacking it to make sure.) After doing some school I decided that I should call the doctor (while at the library for storytime with Ephram). They referred me to an ENT and wanted me to go immediately.
Off to the ENT..with all the kids in tow with quickly made lunches and leftover school work. Thankfully they had a playroom where the kids could eat/play/work while I was with the dr. My ear was indeed clogged and they cleaned it out...alas! I could hear:)! He was concerned that I couldn't move my face and mentioned that he wanted me to go to the ER and have an MRI to be sure I didn't have a mini stroke. I was getting nervous...a stroke? I thought that I would have felt something or been in pain but apparently that's not the case with a stroke.
They wanted to test my hearing to be sure it wasn't damaged but I knew for sure I could hear now..still, into the booth I went. Hearing test went off without a hitch and I was within the normal range. (Brought me back to my days in college when I took audiology:).
**Side note- I LOVED teaching the kids about the ear using the model that was in my room and still remember all my anatomy:). We called that Science for the day...love homeschooling.
**Another side note- it would not surprise me in the LEAST if Kinsey went into the medical field. She is fascinated with all things yucky...and medical. She was the only one who wanted to stay with me the entire time...and does the same when any of the kids have appointments.
OK..back to my facial paralysis
The doctor felt much better after my hearing test but still wanted me to have an MRI..just not at the ER anymore. They set up an appointment for this afternoon.
Last night I felt terrible and wondered if all my symptoms were connected (including the extreme exhaustion I've been experiencing) so I started googling 'mini stroke or bell's palsy'. Brian was sitting with me while the kids were at AWANA. I looked at all different sites. Finally one sentence changed everything for both of us. It was like a lightbulb went off and we knew what was wrong. And it was all because of my sweet, cuddly, three and a half year old.
This is what we read:
Anything that causes the seventh cranial facial nerve to swell can cause the onset of Bell's Palsy. Any kind of facial trauma--such as getting hit in the face--may also play a role in short-term paralysis.
Lightbulb moment for sure!
Rewind to Monday night. We are reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" as our family read along right now and Brian reads it right before bed. Everyone piles in our full size bed and listens as he reads. Ephram was sitting beside me and banged his head on my left temple. It hurt pretty bad and I let him know to be more careful so mommy wouldn't get hurt. No sooner were the words out of my mouth...before he did it again but MUCH harder. It brought tears to my eyes and hurt like crazy! I moved him over and kept listening to the story....very aware of where my head (and Ephram's) were. Other than a throbbing pain I forgot all about it.
So apparently Ephram hit me hard enough that it caused my seventh cranial facial nerve to swell and give me short term paralysis...or paresis.
All through the evening my face started to tingle and by today I could feel hot and cold on it. I still have a strange smile (according to Laura and Brian lol!) but I'm guessing that will go back to normal again soon.
I still can't believe that my face was paralyzed because of Ephram's head! Crazy how the body works...and thankful it wasn't worse! So the ear was completely unrelated and just happened to be my left ear but thanks to the appointment and scheduled MRI we were able to figure out why my face was paralyzed.
When I was a baby I knocked my mom's front tooth out. Now Ephram can claim facial paralysis with his mama:).
1 comment:
Oh my word girl! What a situation! Glad you are alright! Love you!
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