Summer of 2002 was just like any other school day. PE had always been my weak point; I struggled to keep up with my classmates, but this was something I had come to expect due to my history of poor health. As I was filling my water bottle, a friend approached me with a concerned look on their face and asked, “Are you okay? What’s happened to your face?” confused, I replied, “Nothing, everything feels fine.”
I brushed off the comment, finished the day, and headed home. However, as I approached my Mum, she too asked the same question: “Are you okay? What’s happened to your face?” At this point, I started to get a little worried. I hadn’t noticed any difference in my appearance, but the concern in their voices made me realize something was wrong.
Without wasting time, my parents took me to the hospital. After a quick examination by a doctor, I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. At the young age of just 10! I was told it was very rare at such a young age!
Over the following days, the condition worsened. The entire right side of my face became numb and drooped. Simple tasks, like drinking, became difficult, and I had to rely on a straw just to manage. My face had essentially become paralyzed.
It took nearly six months for me to fully recover from Bell’s Palsy. I was eventually given the all clear, but there is the possibility of it recurring.
Since that time, I’ve been fortunate enough not to experience any further episodes of Bell’s Palsy. Life, in that respect, has returned to normal. However, the experience remains a vivid reminder of how fragile our health can be and how quickly things can change.
