Woke up and check my mouth was getting worse. Having more pain around ear. Constipation problem. May be one more bad effect of steroid.

Wanted to go to work but I already felt tired. Stayed home and let body rest on couch. Found small blister in ear. That blister was giving me lot of pain. Friends stopped by but didn't feel to welcome them. I felt very tired and wanted to stay alone. It's getting really difficult while talking. My eye was patched throughout whole day. Put lots of ointment in eye throughout whole day.

Situation was getting worse. My mouth was swollen and it's getting really difficult doing daily activities like brush, mouth wash etc. Constipation problem is still ongoing from yesterday.

Blister inside my ear was giving more trouble. It's hard to concentrate on something else. Rita checked ear and found out there is a small pimple like blister inside my ear. If I touch, I can hardly feel its existence but its pain was giving lots of trouble.

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout whole day. I was very hungry throughout a day. I was very happy that I was done with prednisone. Friends visited me but same as yesterday, it's really hard to talk to them.

Having lots of pain while eating food. Mouth was swollen and it's hard to open and stretch its muscles. Mouth gets tired even I talk for a minute. While doing facial exercises and sneezing, I get dizziness. Around afternoon, started feeling cold and neck pain. Neck pain was at worse by end of the day.

It was restless night. Pain around ear wasn't letting me sleep. I am not sure when did I went to sleep. I am still patching my eye throughout night.

Woke up and found out that I have three blister in ear and it has lot of pus. This is worst pain one could have. It was very severe and I was feeling cold. Mouth was very much swollen from inside, you don't notice from outside. It's hard to drink morning tea and eat breakfast.

Rita told me to see doctor if I don't feel good. Read more about bells palsy and blister. Did some research in the morning and found out that If I have pain around my ear, blister in ear, dizziness then it could be Ramsay Hunt syndrome. It can be treated by anti-virals. Went to ER again and Blood pressure was high 141/100. Find out that I have shingles on my ear canal and can be treated better with Anti-virals. He said that I have RHS and it is caused by varicella-zoster virus and that's the real cause of my bells palsy. The varicella-zoster virus infection may lead to inflammation or damage to the seventh cranial nerve and that further cause the facial paralysis. Now, I knew the real cause for bells palsy and it can be treated by both Anti-virals and Anti-flammables. Isn't it too late? They should give me prednisone and Acyclovir on very first day.

Doctor also asked me about when did I move to new area? I have said three years ago and since then I have sinus problems. He said it could be something bothering me in open rural area but not sure. I have moved from much developed O'Hare area to rural western Chicago suburb and it means closer to corn fields, pollen, grass etc. I believe his theory because I never get sick before and since I moved to new area, I get sick very quickly during spring and fall. He also said that blisters are highly contagious especially for children. Children can have chicken pox if they touch my blisters and have one-year-old daughter and it's hard to stay away from her. You know funny thing is I might be happy if my daughter has chicken pox right now. She is one year old and her immune system will be at her best. She can fight off chicken pox in a week without any mark since she won't know how to scratch her body if chicken pox blisters itches her body. As far as I know, you can have chicken pox once in a life and if you have chicken pox if you are adult then it can be deadly and very painful. But, as a father of my child, I do not want her to be victim of chicken pox. I have started keeping my towels separate than others.

Doctor prescribed me 4mg MethyIPREDNISolone steroid for 12 days. I have take more initial day and gradually reduce the dosage. 1&2 day- 6 tablets, 3 &4 days - 5 tablets, 5 &6 days - 4 tablets , 7 &8 days - 3 tablets, 9 &10 days - 2 tablets, 11 &12 days - 1 tablets. Also prescribed me much wanted 5 times a day, 400 mg Acyclovir. This is what I wanted, If I really have Ramsay Hunt syndrome so, I can treat affected area of virus. Also prescribed me Hydroxyzine to treat my blisters.

Came home from ER. I was very tired. Sleep throughout afternoon and evening. Told relatives and friends to not visit me since I wanted more quite surroundings. My family was very supportive. Even there was 90 degree out there and it was really hot, they turned off AC in the house. They stayed away and leave me alone so, I can rest well. Thanks for it. I needed that support on that day.

Eating pizza in dinner was one more nightmare. It wasn't good idea since I have to chew pizza crust. I was very hungry so I wanted to eat more but my mouth wasn't supportive. I have to take rest on sofa between eating two slice of pizza. It was hilarious scene midst of very serious pain.

This was one of worse night in my recent past. My body and mind both wasn't under my control. I knew something is going on but I have no idea what was it and I cannot control it. Could not sleep well throughout night. I had cold fever, blister, pain around ear, eye patch, and just name it.

NO muscle movement, No more vibration and tingling in any part of face. I think either I am going to worse stage or Its getting stable.

Woke up and feel much better than yesterday. Still having pain around ear but much less than yesterday. Rita noticed that one of blister has already become dry. No improvement in facial muscles but noticed that my check was swollen little more and face was more asymetric.

Called off at work for at least two days. I had diarrhea. Is that another problem or just reverse action of steroid's constipation? Doesn't matter, I needed that. I felt good because I was stuffing a lot in last three days.

Started taking new medicine throughout day and was in sleep throughout day. I think I needed that rest especially after restless night I had. Regain 50% strength at the end of the day. I am having less pain around my ear. There was occasional movement in my swollen cheek muscles.

Better day than yesterday. Sleep throughout night. No diearia and no constipation. I was amazed how fast I was recovering from earaches, headaches and cold fever.

All blisters have become dry. Still having pain in ear but its much less compare to yesterday. No improvements in facial muscles. Facial muscles are still swollen but there is some occasional tingling in cheek and lip muscles. There was some tingling in forehead and skull muscles. Very bad neck pain around right side of ear. Seems like neck pain is getting worse. It may be because of viral infection in right side ear and blister.

Overall, It was refreshing day. Play with the daughter. Having less trouble eating food than usual. Body movement was very good.

Woke up and feeling much better than yesterday. No major improvements. Done some facial exercise in the morning. Getting dizzy while doing eyebrow exercise. My cheek muscles are still swollen and sore and giving me lots of pain.

Came back to work. I was going crazy at home without work and lying on sofa and bed. Wanted to give myself chance to do something else.

Check emails and exchange emails with friends and coworkers. It was fun to get back to work. I am having lots of trouble concentrating on work because of constant pain around neck and ear and constant headaches. Eye started giving me lots of trouble since I have put ointment only once in the morning. Put eye drops every hour or so to moist my eye.

Got tired at work around noon. Because of severe headache, earache, neck pain and throbbing pain around ear, leave for home and took rest of the week off. It wasn't good idea to resume work so soon. Get back home and took rest of the day.

No improvement in bells palsy but things are not getting worse. Sore neck. Pain around and inside ear still out there. Blisters are dry. Lay down on sofa most of whole day. Took couple of naps throughout day.

Went to visit family doctor again. He told me stop taking Hydroxyzine so I wouldn't be drowsy whole day. Make sure that I don't have any other blisters in my ear and said that recovery will be take some more time because of RHS. You have to fight off with virus, inflammation and blisters first then your nerve will start growing again. Your recovery will take 4-5 weeks. Told me to do regular facial exercise and take care of my eye.