One mum spent thousands trying to fix her face after giving birth left her with uneven brows and a dropped lip – before being told it was permanent.
Stay at home mum and entrepreneur, Gladys Warden, from Texas, USA, gave birth to baby Mila in November 2017 – but four days later, woke up with uneven eyebrows, a numb tongue and a drooped lip.
Gladys, 28, suspected she had Bell’s palsy – a condition which her mum had been diagnosed with three times – which is a type of facial paralysis causing a person to lose the ability to control muscles in one side of the face.
Symptoms can include twitching, loss of movement, and weakness and after informing her gynaecologist who explained it was common in women who had recently given birth, Gladys wasn’t too concerned as her mum had made a full recovery each time.
Gladys began trying various treatments to try and tackle her Bell’s palsy which as since set her back over £2,800 so far.
Some of what she's tried includes chiropractic treatment at £625, acupuncture costing £155, undergoing an MRI at £390, and electric simulation physical therapy totalling £1,650.
The new mum has also tried a variety home remedies, such as CBD oil and facial massages, but nothing seemed to be working.
So after further consultation, she was told that she'd developed synkinesis – meaning that her nerves didn’t heal correctly causing permanent muscle damage in her face.
She’s since contacted the Facial Paralysis Institute in California who charged £310 for the consultation alone.
They’ve suggested a treatment plan for Gladys which includes Botox and selective neurolysis surgery – but costing almost as much as a luxury car, the treatment would leave Gladys out of pocket.
Following her diagnosis, Gladys completely lost her confidence and took six-months away from her fashion blogging as she was unable to come to terms with her new appearance.
She said:“I was embarrassed to look people in the eye and I’d always start off by saying ‘I have Bell’s palsy,’ when I would see someone for the first time in fear that they would stare and wonder.
“As a fashion blogger, I stayed away from the camera for almost six-months. It was hard to take pictures and see the new version of myself.
Replacing her love for fashion, she took up an interest in fitness – a hobby that provided her with a small sense of control over her body.
She revealed: "I knew I wasn’t able to control what my face looked like, but I could control my health and what my body looked like. I set a goal for myself that really pushed me to find my confidence again.”
I didn’t feel scared at the time because my mum had had three episodes in her life – I thought it was something that would come and go.
Gladys is still weighing up her options, but now embraces her new appearance.
She has since resumed fashion blogging and hopes to inspire others with Bell’s palsy as she doesn’t believe it should stop anyone from living their life.
Talking of her story, Gladys recalled: “The morning before the onset, I remember my eyebrows were so uneven and I couldn’t figure out why and as the day went on, more symptoms started occurring like a numb tongue and a drooped lip.
"I didn’t feel scared at the time because my mum had had three episodes in her life. I thought it was something that would come and go.
“I had to sleep with an eye patch and tape my eye shut at night because it wouldn’t close."
Admitting to not being concerned, she said: “I didn’t go to hospital because I knew it wasn’t a stroke. I think if my mum had never had it, I would’ve gone to hospital.
"I called my gynaecologist who had just delivered my baby. Apparently, this is something that isn’t uncommon for pregnant women or women who have just given birth so he prescribed steroids and I took them as followed."
Detailing the treatment she'd tried, she said: “I saw a chiropractor for low level laser therapy for nerve regeneration and nerve function and I went a couple of times a week for a month or two.
“I did acupuncture on my face and body which cost $100 for each of the two sessions.
“I also saw an ear, nose, and throat doctor who did an MRI to make sure there was nothing else causing the Bell’s palsy.
“After this, I was sent to a neurologist who sent me to physical therapy – I did this three times a week for four-to-five months.
"I did electric stimulation where they stuck needles into my face and I think this helped in my healing the most.
But feeling at a loss, Gladys admitted to finding it hard because "Bell’s palsy isn’t something that has a direct treatment plan so it’s unclear how to treat it or know if you’re doing the right thing."
After admitting to losing confidence in herself, Gladys said: “I had just had a baby so that postpartum stage is already difficult. Your body does not look at all like it used to. Your skin is saggy, and you don’t feel confident – add facial paralysis and it’s even worse.
Gladys has received an outpouring of support from those close to her, with the mum admitting that "everyone has been so supportive from the beginning.”
She added: “Of course, no one thought I would never recover – It’s rare that people don’t heal, but over time, I’ve met so many others via social media that are just like me, so it has helped me feel less alone."
That postpartum stage is already difficult. Your body does not look at all like it used to – add facial paralysis and it’s even worse.
But despite the support she'd received, Gladys did admit to receiving some negative remarks with people not knowing about her condition.
She said: “I haven’t had a purposely negative response, although I've had people ask, ‘why aren’t you smiling in this photo,’ unbeknownst that I had this condition.
"I know they didn’t mean I was ugly, but small comments like that can really hurt sometimes.”
Gladys is still talking to specialists about possible treatment plans but in the meantime, she is using social media to raise awareness.
She said: “I had a video conference with the Facial Paralysis Institute in California who have offered Botox treatment and selective neurolysis surgery.
“I’ve recently been informed of a doctor in Houston who also specialises in facial paralysis, so I'll also be going to see him in a couple of months to weigh up my options.
On sharing her journey on Instagram, Gladys said: "Putting myself out there really pushed me and got me out of my comfort zone.
“I was asked by a local news station to have my own fashion news segment – I was so nervous to do it. I let them know I had Bell’s palsy and that didn’t bother them at all which was so nice. I figured there was no way they’d want me on camera when they saw my face.
Gladys remains positive about her recovery process and admitted that she hadn't come across many stories that were similar to her own, but began receiving messages from people all over the world letting her know that she'd served as an inspiration for them.
She said: “I’ve learnt that people who really matter, don’t care what you look like. What leaves more of an impression is what your heart looks like.
“I’m two years in and I still have hard days and cry about it – it’s okay to have a pity party for yourself, but don’t stay there. Don’t let Bell’s palsy stop you from living like it did for me for so long.”
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