Friday, the 9th: I started to notice that food was tasting strange to me. At first I just thought it was a strange pregnancy thing, kind of like first trimester food aversions.
Saturday, the 10th: My tongue felt funny. It felt like it was covered with something and I couldn't taste things right. (or like when you get a burn on your tongue) This day was also full of cramping and contractions that lasted half the day, completely unrelated to the Bells.
Sunday, the 11th: I had a lot of twitching in my right eye. Didn't think much of this. Everyone has this from time to time. Still had the weird tongue and taste issues though.
Monday, the 12th: I woke up this day and my right eye was really bothering me. I had taken a shower and washed my face. I thought I just got soap in my eye, which I did. At that time I didn't realize that I got soap in my eye because it wasn't closing all the way. My eye was so irritated and watering that day. Then I noticed that my face felt funny when I smiled. I went to the bathroom to look at my face and realized that the right side of my mouth wasn't working. I tried to pull my lips into a tight O, but my right side was droopy. This was very scary to see, so I told Gabe about it and he said call your doc, which I did. After my doctor examined me, he diagnosed me with Bells Palsy. I had never heard of this before, but apparently it is very common for pregnant women in their third trimester, especially within weeks of delivery. I happen to fit that description. From what I have read and learned from my doctor, it could be caused by edema the extra fluids compressing the facial nerve which causes the palsy. It could also be caused by a viral infection (immune system in pregnant women is suppressed) This infection could cause inflammation which results in the palsy. My concern is that I struggled with inflammation issues before I got pregnant and none of my doctors could figure out why. I wonder if I was more susceptible for this based on my history. It is so frustrating when my body fails me.
Thursday the 15th: What started as a slight droop on my eye and mouth, which Gabe couldn't notice on Monday, has now developed into a very annoying problem. My right eye is severely drooped and won't close all the way. I have to take measures to protect that eye by using eye drops and covering it with a patch. This has caused even more issues. I have found that my left eye is very weak, so my vision is very blurred now. It is hard for me to read, watch TV, and I definitely can't drive either. I also have a lot of depth perception issues. The vision problems cause dizziness and nausea. Gabe had to drive me to the doctor yesterday for our last sonogram. Just riding as a passenger the movement combined with my blurred vision made me so sick to my stomach. I have a very severe pain on and around my right ear. This is the only painful thing about the palsy. Everything else is a nuisance. The right side of my mouth is droopy. It is hard to eat, drink, and talk. Worst of all, I have lost my ability to smile. This has bothered me more than anything else and has been the cause of a lot of emotional down moments. It is killing me that I won't be able to smile when Benjamin is born. It frankly makes me mad that this cropped up so suddenly right at the end of this pregnancy and though I know I shouldn't let it, it is zapping my joy. It bothers me that all the first pictures of Benjamin and myself I will be looking like this. Vain? Maybe, but it is what it is. I am praying through this and seeking the Lord's purpose and desire in all of this. Of course, my prayer is that the symptoms of this would go away quickly, but I am also praying that God would help me accept this and focus on what is important. My son is due to arrive in just days. I will finally get to hold him and see the beauty God created in my son. My physical challenges pale in comparison.
Treatment: My doctor suggested prescribing prednisone for me to take. Initially I resisted this. Taking a steroid while pregnant doesn't sound like a good idea. I researched it and could find very little online that supported taking prednisone while pregnant. But when my symptoms got much worse within days, I decided to talk to my OB about it more when we went back for the sonogram. He assured me that prednisone is used often for pregnant women and it does not cross the placenta. The length of taking it is also very short. I will be finished with my dosage by Saturday. And the dosage is not that high. Obviously, I changed my mind and decided to take the medicine, praying it does not have any adverse affects on Benjamin. From what I have read, taking it in the first trimester could result in cleft palette and other issues like that. I am trusting that I have made the right decision for both myself and our baby boy.
So there you have it. My latest pregnancy challenge. With all the ups and downs of this pregnancy, I have started to wonder if God is preparing me to let this season of my life pass. I know I have said this before but I truly think this is my last pregnancy. My body has been through so much this time around and honestly I don't want to endure a lot of this again. Don't get me wrong, pregnancy is a HUGE blessing. We have always had such a hard time getting pregnant that I feel each pregnancy and child is a miracle.
At the sonogram yesterday, Benjamin measured big but not too big. He measured around 8lbs. Of course, before birth Caleb measured at 7 1/2 lbs and he was born at 9lbs 4oz. So we won't really know until the big day, which is Monday. I am so looking forward to meeting my sweet son. Only 4 days left!!
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