Well, It's Not Bell's Palsy...

...and it's not a tumor either! I got my MRI results today and after completely flipping out when the nurse told me on the phone that there was "an area of concern" and hysterically calling Ami and Brian to ask them if they'd meet me at the doctor's office, I learned that I am gonna be just fine. It's not Bell's Palsy, although the feeling is basically the same. Bell's affects the 7th cranial nerve in the face, the nerve that controls muscle movement. The problem with me is in my 5th, right where it exits my brainstem. Seems a viral infection with nothing better to do attacked that nerve and got it all inflamed. That inflammation showed up on my scan around the nerve and that's where my numbness is coming from. There is no mass or lesion or tumor.

Doc said one of two things happened. Either my immune system attacked the virus, stomped on it and killed it and then overcompensated and attacked the nerve thinking it was still damaged OR the nerve is still trying to heal. I'm going with the nerve is still trying to heal 'cause that other thing is just retarded.

So what do we do now? We wait until the nerve heals and my numbness goes away. About six weeks after my symptoms cease, I'll have another MRI (joy) and we'll see how things look in there then.

In the meantime, I'm going to read everything I can get my hands on that has anything to do with nerve damage and regeneration. Whatever it takes, more rest, less stress, more chocolate, whatever it takes.