Once upon a non-princess fairytale….half of my face was paralyzed.
I was sitting on my couch as my twins slept their newborn days away. It was a hot summer day of July, 2014 when I was diagnosed with Bells Palsy, a condition where half of your face becomes paralyzed.
Since 2014 I have taken control of my health issues instead of playing victim and throwing a pity party. Sure I was sad, frustrated, and embarrassed that half my face was paralyzed at the at of 25, but I accepted the unfortunate circumstances in order to take the next step towards healing and achieving in life.
I just finished reading “Girl Wash Your Face”, by Rachel Hollis and she too was diagnosed with Bells. I’m floored by how I can relate to her on so many levels. She too had Bells, she too runs a media site, she too is a mom, and she too is recovering from being a workaholic. And let me tell ya, of course It sucks that she had to experience all this too, but I’m so glad she shared so that I know I’m not alone.
For over a year, my eye wouldn’t close on it’s own, and in the AM, it wouldn’t open. I’d look and feel like Popeye. I couldn’t speak properly and I couldn’t smile to inspire like I normally try to do.
You may sometimes notice (or you probably will now) that my eye turns smaller than the other when I talk or laugh, but other than that I’ve fully recovered because of the shifts I took. And the scary party, If I go off course with my nutrition and routine, I can feel the Bells try to creep back in.
[Tweet “It was completely eye opening to understand, feel and see the real impact nutrition, sleep & our daily lifestyle has on our minds & bodies.”]It was completely eye opening to understand, feel and see the real impact nutrition, sleep and our daily lifestyle has on our minds and bodies. I knew this from all the reading and work I’ve done through the Identity Magazine community, but now I’m in DEEP with experience and results.
How I Healed My Bells Palsy
What worked for me may not work for everybody, but why not try right?
After going all in for 21-30 days, I saw and felt a HUGE shift in my overall health, especially my face. Now more than ever…
I no longer feel like I was punched in the face 24/7.
I no longer feel insecure
I no longer feel alone because I have found and connected with other women who are experiencing the same journey.
The photo on the left takes me back to one of the most vulnerable times in my life. I felt incredibly insecure about the way I looked and couldn’t understand why this happened to me. But as always, there was a lesson in this….
SLOW DOWN, sleep more, and shift your nutrition and mindset so that my stress levels settled down. What I learned that even if I “feel okay” issues can still be brewing internally. I took my discoveries for nutrition, sleep, fitness and more into a journey and now I’m helping others do the same.
Don’t take anything for granted. In an instant, things can change and your world can be turned upside down.
Please appreciate and enjoy your life.
Stop thinking about the could haves and should haves and just keep going.
Keep your head up and stay focused on YOUR journey, health, peace and happiness.
**If you want to try exactly what I did to heal my bells, inflammation, lower back pain and overall strengthen my confidence, self-worth, and balance, then fill out THIS FORM.
Looking forward to supporting you 🙂
Xo, Sue
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.™ Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the above article. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? What are you still working on accepting?
I accept the responsibility to take care of my health fully. I must fuel my soul with healing nutrition, I must release energy by exercising and use that reduce stress.
2. What have you learn to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? What are you still working on to appreciate?
I appreciate all the resources currently available to help support our Mental Health! I’m still working on Identity Magazine to continue to be one of the top online magazines for women for mental health awareness.
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What makes YOU most proud? What goals and dreams do you still have?
Identity Magazine for sure! I’ve created a business that helps support my family and feeds my soul as well as my readers souls.
4. We all have imperfections, so we think. The truth–we are all perfectly imperfect. What are your not-so-perfect ways? What imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
Every week I seem to pick on my flaws. I’m currently working on not nagging my husband about the toothpaste in the sink after he brushes his teeth.
Really, what harm is it doing? Haha.
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to express and appreciate all the positive traits that make you…well… YOU! Sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (we assure you!) Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my smile and my perfectly imperfect face.