by Roby LaPorte

Stronger everyday, the Internet just keeps getting more useful and entertaining all the time. The endless amount of pertinent information and resources is absolutely amazing. There is no subject not found, no medical condition not examined, no service not offered, no event not captured…anything you ever wanted to learn more about is right there on the web, just waiting to quench your thirst for knowledge and wisdom.

One area where the Internet can give you a wealth of insight is in the world of health. With all the new information coming up all the time, it is right there on the cutting edge. There are countless health and fitness websites at you service, including exercise programs like Pilates and Yoga, workout routines and fitness training sites, as well as information about nutrition, homeopathy and much more. WebMD.com has heaps of information to help us gain new understandings about a vast range of medical conditions. You can even get a free copy of the Physician’s Desk Reference online at pdr.com, for personal use and research.

Of course, one should never self-diagnose by any means, but good information can help people facing difficult times with health issues. 

As a personal case in point, a couple of years back I awoke one morning to find that, out of nowhere, the left half of my face was paralyzed. Very frightened, my first thought was that I had suffered a stroke in my sleep. I called my doctor, a personal friend, and he had me play the hardest piece I knew on my guitar. I heard him let out a sigh, when I was able to play the piece. This told him that it was not likely a stroke, but probably Bell’s Palsy. He advised me to take an aspirin and see my local doctor and personal friend, Dr. Bradley Shapero straight away. Dr. Shapero confirmed the diagnosis, and was able to help me with an adjustment and his knowledge and expertise.

I gathered the information these two doctors gave me and it helped me feel a little better about my face not working right. But still, I wanted to learn more about Bell’s Palsy as I had never heard of it before. So, it was off to the Internet to do some research of my own.

In just a few minutes time, I found many great sites about this fairly rare condition. One was particularly informative; it gave me all the facts and the complete history. Then, the best thing was, the site had a chat room. I immediately joined and started asking questions. All the people in this forum were very understanding and had various degrees of Bell’s Palsy. I received great advice from real people going through the same thing. They shared with me the various approaches to help mend the dysfunctional nerve and the day-to-day ways to deal with a frozen face. They told me that because I could not blink or close my left eye, that tenacious care must be taken to make sure it didn’t dry out and cause future problems. I was also told that while there is no cure for Bell’s Palsy, it does heal and go away in a few months in most cases. With this information, I felt much more assured. I protected the eye and after a few months, the Bell’s Palsy went away.

Internet information, it’s all right there at our fingertips, reassuring and helping keep us all healthy, wealthy and wise. b