Another Friday the 13th!

So far I this day hasn't been to bad. I worked late, but I was getting very necessary things accomplished for my time that I will be off. I decided I would come home and stay there though. Our community has a huge celebration going on right now and tonight is their "international food fair." It isn't very international, but there is usually a lot of food and a lot of people. It lasts until the food runs out and that is usually less than three hours. I read that between 7000 and 8000 people were there last year. I was one of them, but not this year. All those people are squashed into about two city blocks with the streets closed. The lines are horrible and there are only a few porta potties. I don't do those. I reconsidered going late this afternoon because it was pouring rain and I thought the crowds might not be as bad, but things dried up. I'm sure all the vendors got soaked because it was only about an hour before opening, but I'm just not up to waiting 30-45minutes for an ear of corn, even if it is a really good ear of corn. Corn and frozen cheesecake are what I go for. Last year I never found the cheesecake. I got the corn, but I don't remember what else. Oh well. I'm just not up to it this year.

Actually this is activity is one that always would bother me the most. There are families out like mad from all over the area. Every year it would seem like I was surrounded by nothing but pregnant bellies and newborns. I would always get depressed after going to the different events. It is also when all the class reunions happen so someone is meeting up with their long lost best friend everywhere you turn. I'm not from here so it makes you kind of feel left out. So I don't know why I thought these activities were fun if I walked away feeling like a barren outcast. Did I mention the corn is REALLY good?

Today marks three months since my Bell's Palsy started. At this point my prognosis isn't great. Everyone that takes care of me thought it would be much better by now. Me included. I fully expected to have a complete return to normal. That is what I kept being told. Well, yes and no. In one breath they would say not everyone always gets a full recovery and then in the next they would tell me I would be fully recovered by three months. The only good thing is that I have noticed a significant difference in my cheek strength in just the last two weeks. I can now pull apart my lips on the left side while keeping them closed on the right. I can do it every time I try too. It frequently causes terrible muscle spasms and twitching along my cheek but I can do it! It is just my eye that I haven't noticed any improvement with in quite awhile. I am going to try to start wearing contacts again next week. Unfortunately I will have to start completely over with wear time. I don't know we will see how it goes. I can move nothing on my forehead. Nothing at all. I have decided that isn't so bad. Now I can make a single dose of bot.ox go farther on the other side. Then I won't be able to move my forehead at all and those nasty worry lines will start to disappear. It is amazing the difference between the left and the right already.

I have progressed enough that at least it isn't totally noticeable. I still have some difficulty speaking especially when I try to talk fast. The left side of my mouth can't form the words fast enough. For the most part though, I don't think it is overly noticeable now like it was before. I can kind of smile. It isn't an unfriendly smirk anymore at least. Those are the muscles that have really improved in the last two weeks. I am hoping that I see as much progress in the next two weeks as I have the last. If I do, there maybe hope for my eyelid function yet! Not being able to move my eyebrow doesn't bother me at all anymore. If something has to not come back that is what I pick. It doesn't work that way does it?