A man in Malaysia, Faliq Fahmie, started a thread on Twitter (now known as X) detailing his journey and experience with Bell’s Palsy, and how it all started when he woke up one morning with half of his face suddenly paralysed.
Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s palsy is a condition characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis on one side of the face. It occurs due to inflammation of the facial nerve, often following a viral infection. This condition can be both physically and emotionally challenging, as Faliq’s journey reveals.
Faliq’s ordeal began with a slight numbness on the left side of his face one night last month. Initially, he chose to ignore it and slept through the discomfort.
However, when he woke up the next morning, he was met with an alarming realization – he could not move the muscles on the left side of his face. Concerned, he wasted no time and promptly visited a clinic for a thorough examination.
At the clinic, the doctor initially suspected a minor stroke and arranged for an ambulance to transport Faliq to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).
After undergoing a CT brain scan and further assessments, it was confirmed that it wasn’t a stroke; there was no sign of a blood clot in his brain. Instead, he was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a condition that was about to change his life significantly.
Faliq’s posts online
Week 1 (17th Aug – 23rd Aug)
Half face completely paralyzed. Can’t move a muscle, can’t close my left eyes fully. Had to take steroids (12 pills per day). Can’t talk or eat properly. Left ear super sensitive to sounds. A proper hell.
Week 2 (24th Aug – 30th Aug)
MC is over. Back to work. Nothing changes. Had a breakdown at a mamak because it took me an hour to finish a hit maggi soup. Steroids reduced to 5 pills. Did two sessions of facial physio. Life goes on.
Week 3 (1st Sept – 6th Sept)
Had to travel to Japan and New York for work. Was worried but turned out everything was fine. Steroids exhausted. Did self facial physio on a daily basis. Chewing gum everyday.
Cheek muscle started to move. Not much but still an improvement. Left eyes can finally shut. 8k steps per day also helped.
Week 3 (1st Sept – 6th Sept)
— 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙦𝙛𝙖𝙝𝙢𝙞𝙚 🇲🇾 (@faIiqfahmie) September 6, 2023
Had to travel to Japan and New York for work. Was worried but turned out everything was fine. Steroids exhausted. Did self facial physio on a daily basis. Chewing gum everyday.
Cheek muscle started to move. Not much but still an improvement. Left… pic.twitter.com/jezzSKdUKe