I call in to work to say I have a doctors appointment and my boss has some knowledge of what Bells Palsy is and agreed it isn't very nice so is understanding of my situation.

I see the doctor who agrees in no time that it's Bells Palsy although doesn't totally agree with the use of steroids but agreed to continue at the same dosage. She also prescribes 800mg Ibuprofen tablets to help relieve the headaches. These can be taken three times a day.

I have bread and soup that evening as per the previous evening, as the Bells was making eating quite awkward.

Nothing unusual to report. The headaches seem to have eased quite a bit and I felt generally healthy. I called in to work in the afternoon, expecting to go back the next morning.

Then late that evening I touched around the inner part of my ear as my ear seemed to feel generally sore. It was painful pulling clothes over it and I couldn't understand why. I felt small bumps around the edge and asked my girlfriend if things looked ok there. She said they looked like little white topped spots. At this point we weren't sure if they were anything unusual but felt the need to check the next day anyway.

We had read up on the internet about Bells Palsy and as far as we could tell there was nothing painful associated with it and no mention of headaches.

Called in to work again sick and made an appointment to see the doctor again.

When the time came she took one quick look and then 'lucky man, you've got shingles!'

She then said that it was in the 'C2' region at the top right side of the head which would explain the soreness, headaches in that area and of course, the damage to the facial nerve causing the Bells Palsy. I felt relieved at that point as I knew what was the cause of this case of Bells Palsy, it was the Varicella Zoster virus.

The doctor then prescribed Aciclovir, to be taken 5 times a day for 7 days. She also said to come off of the steroids as these weren't helping my immune system at all. These to be reduced down to 5 tablets the next day and then 4 then 3 etc.

I then went to Boots and bought some multivitamins and minerals to boost my immune system to fight this off and called off sick for the rest of the week.

After a night sleeping on one side due to the discomfort of the shingles, I wake up and feel a little dizzy and light-headed as if I had a hangover. No real headaches and the spots were starting to mature, looking more like distinct blisters.

The soreness on top of my head had very much gone. The Bells Palsy was still very much the same, although it is possible to close my right eye, it doesn't close as fully or tightly as the other eye. The headaches still kept under control with the painkillers.

I called the doctor about work the following week and she said to give it another week before I go back and wrote out another sicknote. She stated that it was a serious viral infection which requires rest to fight it off.

Doing some more research on the Bells Palsy forums helps to reach the conclusion that my symptoms are much more those of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome which we had seen on a few pages, mentioned briefly.

At this point my ear was quite puffy and very red. It felt quite hot as well and I felt a little feverish at times. The start of a heatwave due until the following Wednesday didn't help much.

The blisters are now quite prominent. Dizziness felt worse in the hot weather and my eye felt really uncomfortable; sensitive to the slightest breeze. It didn't help when I got something in my eye later that evening and it really stung. I wore glasses ever since the Bells Palsy; I didn't dare wear my usual contact lenses at all.

Doing a little wandering around the house that evening made me feel a bit dizzy and light headed and at one point, standing up too quickly resulted in me falling over again in the back garden and feeling dazed and confused generally.

The blisters had started to ooze a bit and some crustiness was evident upon waking. The blisters were all still confined to around the entrance of theear canal.

Bells Palsy was still very much the same with no sign of movement.