Ramsay Hunt Syndrome Recovery

Six Months Later.

It is just over 6 months of dealing with RHS or Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. It’s not been an easy ride and I’ve learned to REALLY despise the word “Patience”. It’s been 2 months since my last RHS Update.

If you are new to my blog. I recommend you watch my YouTube Channel to see all of the videos I’ve posted about RHS, so you can see the progression. Be sure to subscribe on YouTube as I plan to shoot an update once a month.

I’ve struggled this past month with extreme exhaustion, becoming sick for a week, losing my voice...you know the typical spring sickness crap. The biggest challenge with RHS, everything becomes amplified: colds, sore throats…they just hurt and your brain dreams about your pillow all day. You can’t seem to focus and well it’s just made for a harder week.

It didn’t help that my dog ended up with a Foxtail in his foot this past weekend, just adds to the stress and worry, which they tell you to avoid : /

Summer is about to begin in LA and even though it seems to be delayed (still getting snow in Mammoth), I can NOT wait to begin my summer.

New Knee, new hikes, and new adventures!

What Still Occurs with RHS and What’s Improved

I’ve broken down what’s going on with Ramsay Hunt and what’s improved. It is getting better. I look back at videos I’ve shot and I can see even more changes in how I speak and how my mouth moves when talking.

Tip: While hard, take photos and video of your face, so you can see the progression, (yes, I know taking selfies at this stage is VERY VERY difficult) but trust me it will help in the long run.

VISION

• Can now blink

• Wink

• Dries out

• Double Vision when tired

• Inner-eye muscle pull

IMPROVEMENTS:

• less watering

• Other than muscle pull and double vision that occurs, I don’t notice a difference in how each eye works.

MOUTH

• Can’t yet whistle

• slurred speech (I am trying to slow down when I talk...)

• Food still likes to find its way out, I kinda feel like a cow eating, because my mouth doesn't want to work as it should

IMPROVEMENTS:

• not holding my face when I talk (thank god)

• can see more of my teeth

• not using a straw as often (YAY!!)

• NEW: when I eat or yawn my RHS eye now closes. Which again is an odd sensation when you have no control over muscles. Twitching on the side of mouth when blinking.

EARS / FACE

• I was not really impacted by hearing loss despite the shingles in my ear. Many others, seem to have more of a hearing loss. There could be many reasons why, for me, it may be because as a child I had multiple surgeries on my ears  as a child for hearing loss and the scar tissue prevented it?? Who knows. (family gene).

• Soreness / Pain

  • Cheek and Forehead, feels like a giant bruise..seems to be getting less

  • Mouth gets a bit sore if I talk too much during the day but a vast improvement compared to day 15.

What I do to help my Recovery from RHS

• Nap

• massage, massage, massage

• Sing

• Yawn (stretch mouth, massage inside mouth - muscle)

• eye drops when needed

• LOTS and lots of lip balm

• Exercise; increasing my stamina.

• Laugh - this is a hard one. I’m not laughing like I used to quite yet...

Biggest Challenges when dealing with RHS (Ramsay Hunt Syndrome)

• the “omg-will i ever look like myself again” phase.

• Getting no answers from doctors.

• Patience.