Personal HFS History - Elizabeth Clark
My HFS started out as small twitching around the left eye. This little annoyance lasted months and on a routine visit to my doctor she stated it was probably from stress. I am no stranger to stress, but I thought this was bordering on ridiculous.
Over the course of the first year the twitching went from mild to moderate. Then the facial muscles on my cheekbone and left corner of my mouth began drawing up. The first neurologist diagnosed me with HFS and wanted to medicate me with Artane but the side affects would prove to be more annoying than the twitching, I opted to pass on the medication.
The second neurologist gave the same diagnosis and ordered a MRI to rule out tumors and aneurysms. The MRI did not show anything out of the ordinary. He then suggested Botox®. My one and only experience with Botox® proved to be helpful in controlling the spasms although they did not diminish until the second or third week. However, the Botox® did paralyze the left corner of my mouth giving me the appearance of having had a stroke. The paralysis was so bad I was unable to drink through a straw or whistle or suck my thumb (I'm the kind of person that just has to try everything to see if it works) ;-) I continue to have some slight paralysis in the corner of my mouth and occasionally find myself drooling slightly. (So very attractive) I did not return to Botox® injections for two reasons, my share of the medication was expensive and I just didn't want anymore problems with my face. I decided to live with the HFS.
Now I find that from twitching and blinking my vision is interrupted, my eyes dry out quickly. I do not wear makeup anymore due to watery eyes and the constant dabbing at my eyes.
My search on the Internet brought me to the HFSA website and I have been reading and watching the emails as they go by. The surgery idea has caught my attention but I'm not sure I would want to go to that extreme. Of course my opinion could change and I would like to know if there are any hospitals and doctors in the Kansas City area who are as good as some of the doctors I have seen mentioned on the site and in the emails.
Permission granted the HFSA to post Personal HFS History on website.
Elizabeth Clark, February 23, 2004
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