Best laid plans ... completely derailed

Here are two photos from Saturday a week and a half ago - firstly a picture of my suitcase for an overseas trip to show what it looks like when you're on an official parliamentary delegation and responsible for the official parliamentary gifts! Everything in bubble wrap is a gift, and I am expected to poke my clothes and essentials for a week away around the edges. Which I am proud to say I did, although it took most of the day, in a wonderful example of tetris packing, including the closed in shoes for the factory visits and the tropical formal wear for the cocktail receptions ... 

But it was all for nothing because this is the next photo from Saturday evening from the emergency department (yes, I took a selfie, sue me). 

I had noticed some strange stiffness in my mouth on Friday morning, but ignored it, then as it got worse on Saturday, then I noticed I couldn't wink at all, then that whole side of the face was completely paralysed, then my speech starting slurring ... so we finally went off to the ED. They had me in a gown in a bed in about ten minutes from arrival and suggested I should have come in immediately I noticed something .. fair enough.  I had already checked in for my flights the next morning so I described what I was planning on doing to the doctor who gave me that special look for the delusional and said "I STRONGLY recommend you do not do that" so I didn't. 

After lots of tests and scans they diagnosed bell's palsy, which is a surprisingly common facial paralysis, often of unknown cause, although stress is involved and also vaccinations! As a conscientious public servant I had got myself vaccinated for EVERY possible disease for my trip to places without hospitals, and it must have tipped me over the edge. Work sent me some flowers which was very sweet and this is me smiling happily with them. But just on the one side.

The only cure is rest and time (and a short course of steroids) so I have been sitting at home, slowly coming to the realisation just how mental the last couple of months had been, and perhaps I shouldn't do things like that to myself and expect not to have some consequences. It can last days or months, but most people start improving at the two-week mark, so fingers crossed. In the meantime I spill a lot of coffee on myself and try not to talk to strangers because I sound (and look) ridiculous.