Lyme facial palsy
I’m hoping to hear from people that have experience with this, because I am really struggling. My appearance has been a big part of my identity, and trying to enjoy anything right now is really tough. I don’t know if I can handle this not getting better.
From what the doctors tell me, I have a mildish case and they say it will get better. I was on antibiotics in the hospital 5 days after the start of my Lyme symptoms and 3 days before the palsy set in. It is assumed that I had Lyme meningitis. I’m now on Iv antibiotics for 3 weeks and steroids (I know this is debated). The doctors and physical therapist are saying my case is mild. At rest you can’t tell anything is wrong. I can still lift my eye brows and scrunch them (although slightly weak on the left). I can fully close my left eye with maximal effort, but it doesn’t blink fully, and sometimes it just flickers. For me losing my smile is the most devastating part. I can smile mouth closed, but with teeth my smile is where it’s obvious. I can still smile, but very slight on the one side. Some weird other symptoms I had were on pupil small and one big, which has gone away, and sweating only on my normal side. My blink rate on my normal side has also decreased. I believe this is incomplete paralysis.
In your experience does incomplete Lyme paralysis recover completely? The distress this has caused me on top of being so unwell from Lyme is insane. Every time I get pain in my ear I think it’s getting worse. I started physical therapy two days after the palsy set in, cold laser therapy, and acupuncture. I had an appointment with a facial surgeon/palsy expert in NYC, but cancelled for now. Think I’m getting ahead of myself, but I’ll do whatever it takes to get my face back. It’s funny, I never saw the beauty that others saw until now. I used to pick my face apart and now I would kill to have it back. Nothing will make me happier than to just look like me again.