"The Second Time Around"

I have mentioned before at various times that the Big Guy comes from a pretty healthy family.  He is the middle child of 7, all of whom are still living and in reasonably good health.  His mom lived to 98 and other than some dementia, and problems with her knees, she was pretty healthy.  His dad was close to 80 when he died of a heart attack  

Like the rest of his family Mikey has been exceedingly healthy throughout his whole life.  The only surgeries he has had were a tonsillectomy and surgery on a toe with a nail problem.  No serious illness either, ever. That's it,  in nearly 68 years!

About two and a half years ago, he was afflicted with an episode of Bell's Palsy on the right side of his face.  It is a nerve condition that seems to be caused by a virus and can be intensified by stress.   It damages nerves and causes facial sagging, muscle tightening, it affects the taste buds and the proper closing of the eye.  Absolutely no threat to life and for most people it goes away and things return to normal within a few weeks.  For some, though, it never goes away....and guess which group Mikey was in!  Mikey pursued several different types of treatments and saw several difference specialists, but none of the treatments (acupuncture, therapy, TMS, etc.) alleviated his symptoms at all.  It was just one of those things one has to live with.  There is no specific drug or treatment that will "cure" the Palsy.

After multiple efforts nothing seemed effective and the Big Guy was pretty much resigned to living with it.  There are so many other illnesses and conditions, and symptoms, and syndromes that are soooo much worse.  And we have been grateful that it wasn't any of those other horrors that lurk around those of us of a certain age!

None of the doctors he saw....None of the articles or websites he read....No one who was involved in his care EVER said anything about the possibility/likelihood of a recurrence!  I sure wish they had mentioned it,
because guess what showed up today on the LEFT side of his face!   Yep, Bell's Palsy, "The Second Time Around!!"  Not fair!

So another trip to the ER, much shorter than the first one (they didn't bother with the MRI.)  It was almost as routine and simple as, "You know that thing you had?  Well, you've got it again!"  Mikey was pretty upset though, after all,  it's pretty demoralizing and downright uncomfortable much of the time.

One thing I'm pretty sure of though, is he will get those treatments started right away and maybe, if the gods are smiling at him, it will go away "The Second Time Around!"

I will keep my fingers crossed!