This has been quite a day! I woke up in the wee hours, about 1:30 A.M., and headed down the hall to the bathroom. My right eye was sore and something felt strange about my upper lip, so I turned on the light, looked in the mirror, and got the shock of my life! I looked like I had put on my Halloween mask early! Facial palsy was well advanced at this point: my eyelid hardly moved at all, the corner of my mouth drooped dramatically, and even my nose was crooked.

I was shocked, but it's probaly no more than Bell’s Palsy, which Hubby had several years ago. There wasn’t much they did for him, except have him tape his eye, so I debated whether to call the clinic after-hours number again or even to wake up Hubby. I finally woke him up, and we decided I had better make the call.

The PA taking calls that night thought it was probably BP, but it could also be any one of several other, more serious things. She suggested I head straight for the Emergency Room. Still not suspecting anything serious, I took a shower, brushed my teeth as best I could, and got dressed, then headed off for the ER, arriving about 3:00 A.M.

Getting examined was painfully slow, as usual. I was taken in a wheelchair to a private examining room in the ER at about 4:00 A.M., and finally saw the hospitalist (in-house doctor) about 5:00 A.M. He was a short slight man, younger than either of my children (Everyone seems so young since I passed 55!). He seemed a little shy and hesitant but was kind and unhurried. He said I had a whopper of an outer ear infection, diffuse otitis externa, with the cellulitis that typically accompanies such an infection. Cellulitis is an inflammation just under the skin, and that was causing the swelling and soreness in the cheek and neck around my ear. Except for the ear infection and cellulitis, the remainder of the scalp pain was the only pain I felt at this point. I still don’t think the scalp pain has any connection to my other symptoms.

The hospitalist thought it was probably BP triggered by the outer ear infection, but ordered a CT scan, just in case. He was concerned about the dizziness, and about the slight fever I now had. The scary term mastoiditis was mentioned. The scan, however, showed nothing unexpected, and I was able to assure Hubby that there really was more than cobwebs and butterflies in there. The hospitalist decided to call in a neurologist. By this time it was 7:00 A.M., so I sent Hubby home. He called the family about 7:30 A.M., and later sent them the following in an e-mail:

Hubby: "Hi, Just to give everyone an update. Over the weekend, while we were away at a square dance weekend, she had some pain and swelling around her right ear and gradually developed mild vertigo. After we got home yesterday and went to bed she woke up around 1 am and noticed some palsy on the right side of her face, i.e., droopy lip and trouble totally closing her right eye. She called our healthcare provider and the physician's assistant she spoke with suggested she go to the ER. Brought her to [the hospital] at 3 am and they did a CAT Scan (negative), they called in a neurologist to look at her, at this point she sent me home."

They fed me breakfast in the ER at about 9:00 A.M, but I felt weak, tired, and very cold. And terminally bored! Is anything as boring as an ER wait? When the nurse finally peeked in and saw me on the gurney, shivering with my coat wrapped around me, she brought me a couple of heated blankets. I felt like nominating her for sainthood! After she checked my temp, which was rising, almost 102F, I finally was able to doze off for a few minutes.

The neurologist arrived about 10:00, but first had to see a little boy in the next room with a bad bump on his head. Boy, did he scream, poor little guy! He didn’t like doctors at all. I thought the noise would bore a hole through my head, but it didn’t last very long! The neuro too said I probably had Bell’s Palsy, but was also concerned about my fever and dizziness, and also mentioned the possibility of mastoiditis. He decided I should have an MRI as soon as possible. This meant being admitted to the hospital, since outpatients often wait two or more weeks for an appointment! Hubby continued in the same e-mail:

Hubby: "Neurologist is almost positive in his diagnosis of Bell's Palsy, but wants an MRI to confirm it because of the vertigo she is experiencing. She has been admitted to get her out of the ER. [Actually, I was admitted to speed up my access to an MRI.] As yet she has not had the MRI, nor has she seen an ENT specialist. At this point she has no idea if they will keep her overnight or not, it all depends on when they can do the MRI. She does not want any visitors since she really would like to get some sleep, which she has had little of since 1:00 this morning."

The admission forms were all filled out and signed, but I sat in the same cold room in the ER for another hour or so until a bed opened up upstairs. Then it was an exciting (not!) ride on the gurney to my room, a four bed ward on the fifth floor, well down the hall from the pediatric wards. My only roomie was hard of hearing and slept a lot, so the room was quiet.

This hospital has a 'room service' style menu for meals. You phone room service when you get hungry and order anything on the menu that fits within your diet limitations. I ordered a light lunch and found it delicious! What a surprise!

Eating was an adventure. I had to learn to take tiny bites or, as I chewed, the food would get lost in the cavern between my right cheek and the molars on that side or, even worse, dribble down my chin. I never realized how much of a role our lips and cheeks play in the eating process. Occasionally I would push a bit of upper lip in with my sandwich and chomp down on it... Ouch! And even the straws the kitchen provided had to be placed in my mouth with care or the liquid would dribble onto my johnny.

Right before my lunch arrived, an IV line was installed in the back of my left hand, and I'm hooked up 5 times a day around the clock to receive Keflin, a broad spectrum antibiotic, for the ear infection. I was also given Corticosporin Otic, antibiotic ear drops, every six hours; and artificial tears for my eye every four hours. I slept most of the afternoon and evening, in spite of being awakened often for 'vital sign' checks (my fever was up over 103F by dinnertime), meds, and doctor visits. A second hospitalist, an older man, and more confident than the younger doctor, but just as gentle and caring, had called in an ENT specialist, and I saw the younger hospitalist and the neurologist again. I found out I'm scheduled for my MRI in the morning.

During the afternoon, two more women were wheeled in, making a full room. About 9:00 P.M. a nurse brought me more eye drops and some micropore tape to hold my eye closed for the night. It feels so dry and sore! Hubby sent out the following e-mail update:

Hubby: "She will be in the hospital overnight and have the MRI in the morning. I did not get to see her this evening. She called just as I was finishing supper and as we were talking a nurse came in and she said she would call me back, well, that was two and a half hours ago. I think they took her off for more tests! The ENT says it is either Bell's Palsy triggered by external otitis, or Ramsay Hunt Syndrome which is a form of shingles. Both are triggered by a herpes virus (Bell's - herpes simplex, Ramsay Hunt - herpes zoster [causes chicken pox]) that lays dormant in most people. The virus inflames the nerve resulting in facial paralysis. Symptoms are similar in both, but the Ramsay Hunt often has lesions typical of shingles - hope it is not that since they are painful. Since she is now running a temperature it could well be the former. I will keep you all posted."