I'm forming my plosives and fricatives somewhat better. The internal shape of my mouth is off, naturally, so people say I don't sound quite like myself. My jaw feels like somebody jacked it with a tire iron; I'm guessing that comes from over-using certain muscles to get around the lack of function in others.
Bell's isn't progressive, so it's not going to get worse. But while it remains, it is a massive aggravation. My right eye doesn't blink completely, so I have to put eyedrops in all day long to keep the eye lubricated. I also have to protect my eye at night when I sleep, lest I roll over and scratch the eyeball on a corner of my pillow or something. Going out in the cold with an eye that doesn't close completely isn't much fun, either.
Ah, but such is life. I can feel sorry for myself for only a few passing moments, and then it's on to other things. I'm a survivor; I always have been. Meanwhile, my bodily strength is not lessened, so once I get used to the eye care, I should be able to resume hiking and building and all the other things I have on my plate.
Getting old is a privilege, but it's not a bed of begonias.
