Look after your eyes
First off, if and when you go to the doctor* they are likely to give you some eye drops. I believe carbomer eye drops are used as they're more of a gel than regular eye drops, so they keep your eyes moist for longer. I have used both single- and multi-use/tube packages of eye drops, and I personally found the multi-use ones more comfortable, while the single-use ones seemed to irritate my eyes. Don't be afraid to ask for another type of eye drop if yours don't agree with you.
Tape your eyes shut at night
I've used both microporous and surgical tape on my eyes; microporous tape feels a lot like masking tape, while surgical tape is more plastic-y. You can buy varying widths of microporous tape in Boots, but the clear, perforated surgical tape will rip neatly to whatever width you like. Whichever one you use...
- TAKE SOME OF THE TACK OFF THE TAPE by sticking it to the back of your hand and peeling it off a few times. Pulling your eyelashes out in the morning, or at any other time, is really not fun.
- These days I use every bit of functional muscle in my cheek to squeeze my eye closed as far as it will go, then I use a finger to close the inner part that still doesn't work. In the other hand I take a (de-tacked) wide piece of microporous tape, and place this over my eye. Early on, I used to use a few thin strips of tape and criss cross them over the eye - this was a bit of a faff, but more successful than my attempts to get everything in place at once when I had less movement.
- With both my eyes closed I fold a cotton wool pad in half and quickly tape it in place to apply some pressure to the upper eyelid. I find this to be a really comfortable way of keeping my eye closed, as the sensation of just the tape pulling on the skin can be a bit unpleasant.
- Finally, I put on an eye mask. This applies a tiny bit of extra pressure, which is nice, but is mainly useful to cover the tape and to stop it sticking to the pillow.
Fake specs
If you are not already a wearer of glasses then you may find, as I did, that it's really painful to walk outside because that blinking thing, that you used to be SO good at, just isn't happening any more. My local optician was unable to supply me any glasses without a prescription, £50 and a long wait, whereas Claire's accessories sell these bad boys over the counter for £5. Funky, no? In all seriousness, I feel a bit silly in them, but they've made my life a lot easier over the last few months. They do come without flowers on, if you like that sort of thing.
Drinking straws
I'm a coffee addict, and it was distressing to find more of it running down my chin than my throat. I did not take up people on their offers of "sippy cups", and instead opted to carry around my own personal supply of drinking straws at all times.
I hope this has provided one or two ideas if you're struggling with the practicalities of BP; this is the post I'd have liked to read in January.
If you'd like someone to talk to about the face situation, let me know. Otherwise, I wish you a speedy recovery!
* You really should go to the doctor when half your face is paralysed, even if you're worried, as I was, about being a time-waster.
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