Took my last dose of the Prednisolone steroids, with just one 5mg tablet in the morning.

Felt quite dizzy during the day and generally very exhausted. I could really wander around at all. I kept feeling the need to just sit down and stay put with no motivation to get up or move.

I had called in sick for work for the week as suggested by the doctor. I was tempted to resist this and go in to work as I desperately needed the money and as a temporary employee feared for my job. I considered it too risky though both with infection of others at work and also aggrevating my own symptoms as my job can be quite stressful, working with a headset on an IT helpdesk. Speaking on the phone, one of my colleagues thought I sounded really bad anyway as the Bells made talking awkward.

At this point I had felt some muscle twitching in my upper lip and eyelid, small muscle spasms lasting about 8-10 seconds at times. No real itching with the rash either and I generally avoided touching the area at all anyway. Some dizziness and light-headedness still. Often tend to lean over to one side, feeling very off balance and bumping into things like the edges of walls etc.

My cheek felt painful to touch or when light pressure was applied, as if it was bruised.

Last day of the Aciclovir, I'm now only on the 1-a-day multivitamins and painkillers.

Still trying to eat according to suggestions on some websites, stick more to foods high in L-lycene, such as cheese, milk, fish and avoid peanuts, chocolate and wheatgerm.

At this point the blisters were looking very messy, still a couple of new ones were there but many had crusted over. The swelling had mostly gone and my ear wasn't generally feeling painful or sore at all. A throbbing pain was felt behind my ear upon waking though.

The Bells was still very much the same, no sign of any movement.

Pain again upon waking, with a generally run down feeling like I had a cold or flu or something. All pain tends to be of the pulsing, throbbing kind behind my ear and tends to come and go through the day. The painkillers seem to keep it away though but I feel it is constantly making me aware of the infection. One sign of progress today is that my eye has started to water quite a lot. Still embarassing trying to drink though, much of a cup of coffee was spilt down my front as I tried every way possible to drink it. I can drink through straws and create suction in my mouth but definitely unable to blow out my cheeks. Eating is still difficult although at this point my face feels somehow normal, not numb. I seem to feel unaware that that side of my face doesn't move until I look in a mirror. The half-smile makes me feel awkward though and I try my best to keep a more blank expression.

I still feel like my head is spinning quite a bit and have to frequently rub my right eye. My head still feels quite achy at times too.

Woke up feeling a bit headachy and had the pain behind my ear at times during the day.

My eye is still watering quite a bit although no movement at all on the right side of my face.

The blisters seem to have all crusted over now, maybe one left to go if anything, hopefully no more will appear. Had quite a big meal in the evening and felt like I couldn't move at all, totally worn out afterwards. Late in the evening I started to feel a twitching feeling behind my ear.

In the evening I felt fairly headachy generally, not just on my right side. I also had moments of dizziness.

I went to pay my rent at the lettings office and the two ladies in there had independently experienced both shingles and Bells Palsy; the younger one Bells Palsy and the older one shingles. The Bells Palsy affected the girl when she was 16 and cleared up in a few weeks. The shingles affected the other lady for months she told me; mainly a feeling of great exhaustion.

A bit headachy first thing. The day went ok with no real problems apart from a fair amount of pain behind the ear during the morning which seemed to fade out as the day went on. A little dizziness at times too.

Had a strange achy feeling just below my jaw on the right hand side, some slight dizziness at times although no real headaches. I did feel a tingly feeling on my tongue on the right hand side when eating, like some loss of sense of taste.