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cranial
nerve; recovery can take weeks, months or years.
I
didn't think something was wrong when I had a swig from a water
bottle and ended up with water down my shirt instead of in my
mouth. I have a tendency to spill, so I brushed it off as being
clumsy.
I
didn’t think anything of it when I bit my cheek chewing gum or
when I got shampoo in my eye in the shower or when my eye
continued to tear as I put on makeup. What I did notice was a
horrible deformity when I looked in the mirror to apply lipstick.
My left lip wouldn’t move. My right lip curled up in a perfectly
shaped, beaming, beautiful smile. The left side hung limp. It
drooped down like a flower that had been left in the summer heat.
For
the 99.98 percent of the population that will never be afflicted
with Bell’s palsy, let me tell you, the effects are devastating.
Self-esteem is thrown out the window. Imagine waking up one day
and not being able to eat properly, talk properly, drink without
dribbling or dazzle those pearly whites.
The
most traumatic effects for me are psychological. What’s the one
feature you really like about yourself? For me, it’s my smile.
I
love to smile! I love seeing a baby’s face light up into a
toothless grin. I love smiling at friends and coworkers and having
them smile back, knowing the day is going to be a good one. I love
how my Grandma’s eyes squint into a black line as she smiles and
wraps her arms around me.
Smiling
at strangers is fun, too, because it’s natural to smile back and
you know in some way, you have just made their day a little
better. One smile can set off a chain reaction that could reach
across the state.
A
genuine smile is the best gift I believe we can give anyone –
ever! It’s even free and
there’s an endless supply.
Since
the onset of Bell’s palsy, I’ve been stingy with my smiles.
I’m embarrassed by my droopy left lip and crooked smile. I still
have a hard time looking people in the eye because unfortunately,
when my smile left, it took a big chunk of self-esteem, too. But
any smile is a precious gift. Regardless of it’s shape, size or
symmetry.
Each
day we have the opportunity to give countless wonderful gifts;
each one automatically produces another and another. Give someone
the gift of your smile today; it will come back to you again and
again and again.
Melisa Uchida can be
reached at malisa@oahuislandnews.com |
