On Monday I noticed that my lips felt funny. Kind of like they were coming off of novacaine. It was an inconvenience, but hadn't lost much movement. In the evening I noticed that my glass of wine tasted strange. I think I may have noticed taste sensations changing the previous night, but I can't really remember if that's true.

Woke up with that heavy feeling in the left side of my face. In the morning I noticed that things were not moving properly. My mouth could not smile. My left eye was closing slower than my right. I still had the ability to move almost normal, but it took a lot of straining. I notice the right side of my face is pulling on the left and it feels strained - perhaps because I am trying to compensate for loss of movement on the left. Looked up my symptoms on the web and found lots of information on BP. Went to the clinic in the afternoon and was quickly diagnosed with BP. After numerous physical tests, it was clear that I only loss of function from CN-VII - no other nerves. I was prescribed prednisone and acyclovir which I started taking at dinnertime.

Med Dosage: Prednisone: 60 mg for 4 days, 40 mg for 4 days, 20 mg for 2 days, 10 mg for 2 days. Acyclovir, 2000 mg for 10 days.

I will try to chart my facial movements as this progresses. Here's what I remember from Tuesday.

Eyebrow 30%
Eyelid 50%
Nose 20%
Cheek 30%
Lips 15%
Taste 0%

Symptoms definitely feel worse. It is much harder to move - can't smile and difficult to eat because I can't control my mouth very well. I can't whistle, raise my eyebrows, or wrinkly my nose. My left eye is irritated although it still closes - but more slowly. I have been using natural tears, but tend to keep rubbing it. After work I bought an eyepatch to let my eye rest a bit in the evening. It closes fine when I sleep, so I'm lucky there. The eyepatch helped, but I dont' know if I will be able to stand seeing through only one eye. Oh, eyebrow looks like it is drooping a little bit.

Eyebrow 10%
Eyelid 35%
Nose 0%
Cheek 5%
Lips 5%
Taste 0%

This morning I feel no improvement, maybe just a touch weaker. Eye feels better after sleeping and I am going to work on not trying to rub it today. Hopefully I can avoid the patch. It seems to be blinking with some effort, so if I can focus on it, it should be ok. I feel a little tingling in my cheek this morning and a little twitching in the outer corner of my eye. I hope that is a good sign that nerves are beginning to recover, but it could just be wishful thinking. I know it is way early for the average recovery. I think the prednisone may be having an effect on the inflamation.

Eyebrow 5%
Eyelid 35%
Nose 0%
Cheek 5%
Lips 0%
Taste 0%

Most of today I felt the weakest I have ever felt. Eye was not too bad until later in the afternoon. This evening about 6 pm my face feels a little bit lighter. Like there is a little more movement. My left cheek is able to move a little and I think I did not have this movement earlier. Lips feel a little bit better, but still can't smile hardly at all. Eyebrow can be raised a little - maybe similar to this morning's movements. When wrinkling my nose, my left nostril still does not move at all. I feel more tingling sensations on the bottom of my chin every now and then and a little on my forehead. Drinking is easier than it was at lunch time. I seem to have a slight improvement in my lip movements. I can almost get a perceptible whistle out now. Oh I hope this is not just wishful thinking and my observations are real. I will take pictures every day of my facial movements to see if there is improvement.

Eyebrow 10%
Eyelid 35%
Nose 0%
Cheek 10%
Lips 5%
Taste 0%

I definitely feels some twinges in my cheek, near my eye and on my chin and lower lip. I can move my left cheek a little which seems to be more than before. Eyebrow still does not move much, but not completely still. I can almost make a closed mouth smile symmetric with the cheek muscle, but definitely can't raise my lip to see my teeth. Improvement from last evening? Barely noticeable but I think not my imagination - just the cheek movement may be better. I think I am also gaining a little bit of salt taste perception near the front part of the tongue. My eye feels better and doesn't feel dry and tired.

This evening I was out to dinner with a visitor and my colleague. My face was very tired. But I still feel twitching around my eye and tingling in my upper left lip. Can't raise the lip though.

Eyebrow 10%
Eyelid 40%
Nose 0%
Cheek 15%
Lips 5%
Taste 10%

Maybe a tiny change this morning. I can lift the corner of my mouth a bit, but I cannot lift my lip off my teeth. It just doesn't move. My nose will not move at all. No change in my eyebrow or the left side of my face. I DO see some signs that things may be changing. This gives me hope. The bottom of my eyelid twitches - especially when I try to raise my eyebrow. I can feel tingling sensations in my upper lip. I also seem to have a little more taste sensation than yesterday. I just noticed that this extends down into my neck as well. Cannot move the left side. Today I have a few other problems that have cropped up. The dull headache I have had for days seems worse and I feel an ache right behind my left ear toward the bottom. Haven't felt that before.

Eyebrow 10%
Eyelid 50%
Nose 0%
Cheek 20%
Lips 10%
Taste 20%

I don't notice any difference in my muscle movements. Still a dull ache near my left ear and lopsided feeling in my head - not really a headache. Feeling a little better than yesterday. I notice more tingling and twitching in my cheek area.

Eyebrow 10%
Eyelid 50%
Nose 0%
Cheek 20%
Lips 10%
Taste 20%