Posted by Arthur on January 06, 2003 at 14:51:21:
In Reply to: bell's palsy posted by Ben Johnson on January 06, 2003 at 12:39:44:
First, to say that I am sorry to hear about your case. I play in a brass quintet and church orchestra so I get to play a few times every week. I had a bout with this condition about 5 years ago and I did not play (publicly) for approx 3 to 4 months. While having paralysis on the left side of my face appeared to go away after 4 weeks, the muscle control and major recovery continued for a couple more months. My doctor(s) stated that most all folks recover in the 90% range. I tried tuba playing but I could tell that I was not fully recovered and would tire easily on the left side. My concern (if valid or not) was that I would play and develop bad habits and mess up my chops while trying to compensate for any lack of strength on the paralysis side. My recovery rate was very high and it difficult to tell that I ever had it by looking at my face unlike others I know. However, when I get stressed or tired, I can tell that my eyes slighty twitch and then I will psych myself into thinking my face may twitch when playing which causes me to tire easily. However, this is resolved by taking care of myself and getting rest (cause I'm getting older - lol.) So since you have a mild case, then I suspect you will be back quickly.
From all my reading and understanding, this is a condition that is still a mystery with doctors as far as causes such as stress and viral infection (like chicken pox virus). So don't let anyone give you a hard case formula, you know yourself and embrouchure. Keep buzzing but not necessarily attempt to play until you feel ready. However, I do think that wind players recover at a higher rate just from the few folks that I know that have experienced this.
Sorry for the long response, but I hope this helps.
Arthur