03/09/2026
I wanted to share a personal story about my experience with alternative health care and how it supported me during a really difficult time.
Last year right before my wedding, something unexpected happened. I was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. At the time, I thought I was taking care of myself. But the stress of planning a wedding (even the happy kind) can take a real toll on the body.
5 days after returning home from Nashville for my bachelorette, I woke up and my face starting to droop along with numbness and tingling on one side of my face. I went to the emergency room right away and they rushed me in for CT scan almost instantly to rule out a stroke. Thankfully it wasn’t a stroke, but it was Bell’s palsy.
Bell’s palsy is a temporary paralysis or weakness of the facial nerve that causes one side of the face to droop. It’s often linked to inflammation of the facial nerve and can be triggered by things like viral infections, immune stress, or intense physical or emotional stress (which was likely the case for me).
Hearing that diagnosis six weeks before my wedding was devastating. All I could think about was whether my face would recover in time for the wedding and if I would feel like myself on one of the most important days of my life. I did everything I could to support my recovery and stress with many IV treatments, targeted supplements and help and support from my colleagues as well as weekly facial acupuncture with Lorraine at
And honestly, the acupuncture made the biggest difference. Bell’s palsy can take months to recover from, but after each session I could see improvement. Week by week my facial movement started coming back with less and less facial drooping. By the time my wedding day arrived, the difference was incredible, you could barely tell.
I am forever grateful for alternative medicine practitioners, the support of my friends and family, and even our healthcare system for helping diagnose and treat me so quickly when I needed it most.
And a huge thank you to Lorraine for taking such amazing care of me and helping me feel confident and beautiful on one of the most important days of my life. 🤍