Patti, I have lost much of the involuntary swallowing function on the left side. The normal flow of mucous just gets hung up and I have to drink a lot and I cough a lot. I still have some paralysis of the left vocal fold limiting the ability to sing and yell, both of which trigger coughing. Also, when in loud situations, the body automatically tries to pitch the voice up to be heard, but this will eventually fail miserably for me. Facial spasms are rarely noticeable, but my left eye still blinks when I chew. The left cheek muscles don't clear food very well, so a finger sweep is sometimes necessary.
Still no tears on the left side. The eye is not completely dry, but dry enough I still use night-time gel.
On the unpleasant side, severe bowel activity trigger gagging/vomiting....all connected via the Vagus nerve. It's crazy but true.
These are all little things, and manageable.
