"I don't think it's a brain tumor, but you need to get to hospital immediately". Well, ok - that's better than "I think it IS..." but it's not particularly the type of conversation that I'm keen on having with my GP, put it that way. (This is a blog post that some may consider as too much information, so you're free to skip it by the way.)
Let me scroll back a few days, to about Sunday. I noticed that I was having a slight difficulty drinking from a can, or bottle or even a mug come to that; my mouth wouldn't work quite the way that it should, but it wasn't really an issue. Come the Monday my left eye was really sore and I thought I'd picked up an infection, so off I go to the doctor. Waiting in the surgery I felt the side of my face was a bit numb, so mentioned that to him as well. Sent me off to get a blood test, drops for an infected eye and that was that. Thursday I was teaching at CILIP, and I have to say that by the time I got there, I was feeling particularly rough. The numbness around the left side of my mouth had got worse, but I could still speak fairly well, but my eye was stinging something chronic.
It was only when I actually started to speak to the group (who were all wonderful by the way, proving my comments about audiences in a recent post 100%), that I really understand that I couldn't speak properly. Couldn't do it, so I ended up talking out of the corner of my mouth for the day like some New York hoodlum. Things did not improve at all - they got worse and at the last break I had to admit defeat and leave early - straight back to the GP. By this time I'd certainly got a few ideas and I'd been searching while I was on the train, so I was pretty sure that it was a condition called Bell's Palsy, rather than a stroke, since I didn't have any other numbness - problems were limited to above my neck. (Some would say nothing new there!) Got to the surgery and tried to explain to the receptionist that I had a numb side to my face and couldn't talk properly. She brightly suggested that I could have an appointment for the next morning. I demured slightly at this point, and was told I could have an appointment in an hour.
The GP obviously saw on his screen that I was back and saw me at once; we had a quick chat, he came out with his neat little phrase, and basically I then ended up at hospital being checked out by nurses and doctors. I told the doctor what my GP had said and he said 'Yes, that's what I'm checking for now'. This was not good news, not good news at all. Time was ticking. Big Brother was starting in a couple of hours, and I couldn't hang around for all this nonsense! Many tests and the obligatory armful of blood later and I was back seeing the doc. 'This is a strange question' he said 'Have you been for any walks in the countryside recently?' to which I responded 'No, it's not Lyme disease'. He then went off to consult his colleagues, I went back to search engines, PubMed and few other medical sites. We then got back together to exchange ideas, and my initial diagnosis was right on the money.
No-one knows why you get Bell's Palsy. There are ideas, but no-one has proved anything one way or another. Basically imagine you're back from the dentist where you got an injection in your upper gum for some work. You know that feeling of numbness, where that side of your face doesn't work, can't sniff properly, can't see as well as you should since the muscles around your eye are also a bit numb and you can't eat properly? Well, that's it. In most cases it goes away in anything from about 10 days to 3 months, but some people have it for a year or longer. I've got a course of steroids, and have been told to have lots of rest, do as little as possible, no stress (quite how you're not supposed to be stressed in this situation is interesting, especially since you can't pronounce P and B properly, which is a bit of a sod when you try and say 'I'm Phil Bradley and I'm suffering from Bell's Palsy'). Can't really drive much, since I can't close my left eye properly, so my depth perception is shot, and I can't teach, since I can't speak properly either. Other than that, I'm just fine! Apparently about 1 in 70 people get it at some point in their lives, so it's not uncommon; about 20 of the people that I follow will have had it or will have it. Famous sufferers include Graeme Garden, Pierce Brosnan and George Clooney, so I'm in good company, clearly.
I don't think I have it too badly, and I'm doing what I'm told, so hopefully it should start to sort itself out in a few days, but I shan't be around too much for a while - heat is a good thing I'm told, so I'll be sunbathing, purely on medical grounds of course. Here's a good link as well, should you want to know more about it - The Bell's Palsy Association.
Let me scroll back a few days, to about Sunday. I noticed that I was having a slight difficulty drinking from a can, or bottle or even a mug come to that; my mouth wouldn't work quite the way that it should, but it wasn't really an issue. Come the Monday my left eye was really sore and I thought I'd picked up an infection, so off I go to the doctor. Waiting in the surgery I felt the side of my face was a bit numb, so mentioned that to him as well. Sent me off to get a blood test, drops for an infected eye and that was that. Thursday I was teaching at CILIP, and I have to say that by the time I got there, I was feeling particularly rough. The numbness around the left side of my mouth had got worse, but I could still speak fairly well, but my eye was stinging something chronic.
It was only when I actually started to speak to the group (who were all wonderful by the way, proving my comments about audiences in a recent post 100%), that I really understand that I couldn't speak properly. Couldn't do it, so I ended up talking out of the corner of my mouth for the day like some New York hoodlum. Things did not improve at all - they got worse and at the last break I had to admit defeat and leave early - straight back to the GP. By this time I'd certainly got a few ideas and I'd been searching while I was on the train, so I was pretty sure that it was a condition called Bell's Palsy, rather than a stroke, since I didn't have any other numbness - problems were limited to above my neck. (Some would say nothing new there!) Got to the surgery and tried to explain to the receptionist that I had a numb side to my face and couldn't talk properly. She brightly suggested that I could have an appointment for the next morning. I demured slightly at this point, and was told I could have an appointment in an hour.
The GP obviously saw on his screen that I was back and saw me at once; we had a quick chat, he came out with his neat little phrase, and basically I then ended up at hospital being checked out by nurses and doctors. I told the doctor what my GP had said and he said 'Yes, that's what I'm checking for now'. This was not good news, not good news at all. Time was ticking. Big Brother was starting in a couple of hours, and I couldn't hang around for all this nonsense! Many tests and the obligatory armful of blood later and I was back seeing the doc. 'This is a strange question' he said 'Have you been for any walks in the countryside recently?' to which I responded 'No, it's not Lyme disease'. He then went off to consult his colleagues, I went back to search engines, PubMed and few other medical sites. We then got back together to exchange ideas, and my initial diagnosis was right on the money.
No-one knows why you get Bell's Palsy. There are ideas, but no-one has proved anything one way or another. Basically imagine you're back from the dentist where you got an injection in your upper gum for some work. You know that feeling of numbness, where that side of your face doesn't work, can't sniff properly, can't see as well as you should since the muscles around your eye are also a bit numb and you can't eat properly? Well, that's it. In most cases it goes away in anything from about 10 days to 3 months, but some people have it for a year or longer. I've got a course of steroids, and have been told to have lots of rest, do as little as possible, no stress (quite how you're not supposed to be stressed in this situation is interesting, especially since you can't pronounce P and B properly, which is a bit of a sod when you try and say 'I'm Phil Bradley and I'm suffering from Bell's Palsy'). Can't really drive much, since I can't close my left eye properly, so my depth perception is shot, and I can't teach, since I can't speak properly either. Other than that, I'm just fine! Apparently about 1 in 70 people get it at some point in their lives, so it's not uncommon; about 20 of the people that I follow will have had it or will have it. Famous sufferers include Graeme Garden, Pierce Brosnan and George Clooney, so I'm in good company, clearly.
I don't think I have it too badly, and I'm doing what I'm told, so hopefully it should start to sort itself out in a few days, but I shan't be around too much for a while - heat is a good thing I'm told, so I'll be sunbathing, purely on medical grounds of course. Here's a good link as well, should you want to know more about it - The Bell's Palsy Association.
Sorry to hear this Phil, but glad you're bearing up well.
Posted by: Gaz | July 24, 2010 at 11:19 AM
Hi Phil, I'm sorry to read this. I do hope you are feeling better very soon. Enjoy the medicinal sun bathing - perhaps you could head somewhere tropical for a week or 2 :-)
All the best for a speedy recovery.
Katharine
xxx
Posted by: Katharine Widdows | July 24, 2010 at 11:23 AM
Oh no you won't be able to come to the south west to do your talk at UWE in September! It was going to be the highlight on my cpd calendar. Wishing you a very speedy recovery and hope to attend one of your workshops soon. Helen Pullen.
Posted by: Helen Pullen | July 24, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Thanks for the good wishes folks. Hopefully this'll only be a short term thing and I'll be ok by the time September comes around.
Posted by: Phil Bradley | July 24, 2010 at 02:23 PM
That must be so incredibly frustrating. Hope you make a swift recovery.
Posted by: Nicky Adkins | July 24, 2010 at 02:41 PM
Get well soon! I really have to stop commenting only when you're having life-altering issues in a a bad way.
Posted by: jeff | July 24, 2010 at 03:59 PM
Get well soon Phil and stay stress-free for as long as possible :)
Posted by: Sarah | July 24, 2010 at 05:06 PM
Thinking of you and wishing you well
Posted by: andrea adams | July 24, 2010 at 09:23 PM
A text-book example of the informed patient. Hope the BP passes soon
Posted by: Tom Roper | July 25, 2010 at 07:36 AM
Hope you get well very soon - lots of good wishes coming your way X
Posted by: Anne Robinson | July 25, 2010 at 11:04 PM
Hope you have a swift recovery and that you can find ways to reduce stress levels!
Posted by: Fiona MacLellan | July 26, 2010 at 09:43 AM
There are several highlights in this post - I loved the image of you speaking like a hoodlum out the corner of your mouth. Also enjoyed you working away diagnosing yourself via search engines while the doctor does his own collaborative research with colleagues. You should [re]read Three Men in a Boat while you are sunbathing. None of the above means I am not sending you a heap of good thoughts of course. Please keep that hoodlum affectation though. I bet it really works for you!
Posted by: val | July 26, 2010 at 12:03 PM
Bad luck, Phil. Hope it's one of those ones that clears up sooner rather than later!
Posted by: Steven | July 26, 2010 at 08:38 PM
Hope it clears up soon Phil. My ex-wife was a fellow sufferer in her earlier years but it hasn't bothered her for a long time now. As a fellow self-diagnostician (too many years indexing for Index Medicus and training doctors to use Medline!) I entirely sympathise with your approach. My doctor now sighs whenever I walk into the surgery.
Sure you'll be back up and running in no time!
Posted by: Mick Fortune | July 27, 2010 at 12:20 PM
"...you can't pronounce P and B properly, which is a bit of a sod when you try and say 'I'm Phil Bradley and I'm suffering from Bell's Palsy'"
Your ability to see the funny side of a very unfunny predicament will help you sail through this spot of bother. All good wishes, Phil!
Posted by: James Carson | July 27, 2010 at 01:02 PM
Sorry to hear about this, Phil and wish you well. Maybe you've seen this before but in case not http://tinyurl.com/3xn2wly (from a fellow librarian and one of your recent trainees).
Posted by: Richard Crookes | July 28, 2010 at 10:24 AM
Hi, I've been enjoying your blog for a couple months now and after reading this post had to right.
As I was reading about how your day was rapidly going down the tubes I said I know what he has because I had it too. I will spare you all the details but it took me a couple of weeks to get over it and now you would never know I had it. Hang in there, this too will pass.
Jim
Posted by: jim alvaro | July 29, 2010 at 05:16 PM
Hope you're feeling better.
Posted by: Roddy MacLeod | August 01, 2010 at 06:12 PM
Hi Phil, as a reader of your blog for quite a few years now I was saddened to hear of your illness and disappointed you obviously didn't make it to mid-wales last week. I hope you are heartened by the many get-well messages on your blog. Please keep up the excellent work you do and I hope that it won't be too long before you are passing on your gems in person.
Posted by: Mark Ludlam | August 02, 2010 at 09:20 PM