I don't know how much things can get better but I am one that always keeps keeps a positive attitude and keeps trying. I know that there is only so much we can do, but  my thought is since it is now 7 years later I would try acupuncture with electrical stimulation again. The difference this time is that it is a little painful when I get the needles, due to many of my nerves have finally come back to life (which is good) but the muscles on the left side of my face have atrophied a bit, with the electrical stimulation we are trying to exercise the muscles.

This time I have a different doctor, Dr. Wang and he is using pretty big needles (not baby needles as he calls it), baby needles won't do anything. I have had positive response from people that have seen me, which does surprise me that they can even notice, it is so subtle.

I still feel pulling but it also helps me to be aware when I try to isolate muscles. I try to smile or pucker and relax my eye instead of everything pulling, a lot of work but why not give it a try.

Bells Palsy 10 years later

In 2007 I got Bells Palsy, my diagnosis, I would never recover. 

Most people recover within 2-4 weeks, at three weeks I was just starting to get a tiny hit of movement in my lip. When I would see people and children looked at my face with shock and I would always explain what happened. Men that had known me cried, and I couldn't understand why (not much for self-esteem)  I thought I "MUST" look like a monster. But now, I think more then that, they cried because they were afraid it would affect my personality, I am always so upbeat, happy, smiling and now one side of my face was frozen with my left eye wide open.

I always knew I had character but ...really...did I need more?

From 2007 - 2010, I went through periods of acupuncture, physical therapy, macro electrical stimulation and

things greatly improved, but it was an extremely slow, slow process, I would say that I about 80 - 85% recovery. 

Due to the expense of the Lyme treatment and my concern that the over stimulation sometimes caused spasms, such as a "jokers smile", (which horrified me) I would take breaks from the electrical stimulating of the muscles and nerves and knowing that the nerves grew so slow I decided that I needed to give up treatment on my face and focus on the treatment of the Lyme disease. 

Now 7 years later, I feel that I have given my nerves time to grow and am now starting acupuncture again to see what happens.