Sweet Painfulness

I'm starting to feel more pain in my face and especially right around my ear. It hasn't been too bad, because it feels sort of like when you work out a lot and the next day your muscles are sore. It feels like a good pain to have. But right at night when I'm trying to go to sleep it gets a little too intense, so it bothers me. I'm hoping that it means the nerve is trying to heal. I also had some more little tremors.

I read somewhere
that if a Bell's Palsy patient sees some movement by the tenth day, there is almost 100% chance of complete recovery. So I was REALLY, REALLY hoping that on the tenth day something would move. No luck. I was beyond depressed. I have been sleeping about 8 hours a night and then napping for several hours in addition. I don't know whether this is because I need it for recovery, or if I have just been too depressed to stay awake.

But now, for the GOOD NEWS! Today, I was able to make the side of my mouth go up just a teeny, tiny bit!! So it's the twelfth day, but that seems close enough, doesn't it?? I'm trying not to look in the mirror too much. You are not supposed to move it around too much when it first starts coming back, because you can force the nerves into different pathways than they are supposed to use. But it's so tempting to try to make it move more, once you see that you can do it.

I had to teach some swim lessons this morning -- I know, I really am trying to get out of working as much as possible. But it seems there are a lot of things that I can't get substitutes for. Then I spent all afternoon helping DD with her science fair project. I'm really exhausted, and I decided not to go to the adult session of Stake Conference. I think it's probably the first time I have ever missed it. But I didn't want to have to get ready, and drive all the way down to Charleston, and I didn't want anyone to see me in this condition, either. I have pretty much decided to skip out on tomorrow, also. Another first.