The face is back

To sum up: I don't see why everyone complains about Socialized Medicine.

Last month my face stopped working. I was surprisingly calm about this but I figured freaking out in a van full of 10 other people wasn't the best idea ( Though perhaps I didn't consider the sympathy factor). It was an odd experience and it definitely freaked people out over the week.  Thankfully when we arrived I was able to arrange a trip to the A&E nearby in Coleraine with John, a classmate who grew up there and knew his way around.  Short version of the story is I went in, I told them my medicinal allergies, I told them my medical background, I told the nurse the issue, I waited 10 mins then told the doctor the issue, I walked out twenty minutes later with steroids, antibiotics, cream to keep the eye moist, an eye patch, and an understanding of what was happening to my face (Bell's Palsy due to an inflamed nerve ending) and a realization of what it could actually entail while I healed.  And no money paid.

After that experience and creeping people out for the next month while following the treatment plan, the face is now back. I can whistle, I can smile, I can wink, I can play an instrument.  It's all back and I'm glad.