Latest news with #KellyStech
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Bride was so stressed on the run up to her wedding her face became paralyzed
A bride has revealed how the stress of planning her $50,000 wedding left her face paralysed. Kelly Stech, from Chicago, spent a year organising her dream wedding to her now-husband Benjamin Stech after getting engaged in July 2022. However, the week before the ceremony, Kelly began feeling under the weather, complaining of earache and pain when swallowing. The following day, Kelly woke up with painful, swollen blisters across her right ear, which urgent care doctors put down to the skin infection cellulitis. Over the next few days, Kelly's symptoms dramatically worsened as the right side of her face became completely paralyzed on the eve of her wedding. Devastated, Kelly refused to cancel her nuptials and was left distraught when she was unable to 'fully smile' in her wedding photos. Days after tying the knot on October 6th 2023, Kelly returned to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare condition where shingles affects your facial nerve, causing weakness on one side of your face and sometimes hearing problems. Kelly, who works as a hairdresser, believes the disorder was brought on due to the strain of wedding planning over the last year - and is now urging other brides to keep their stress levels in check. Kelly said: 'Exactly a week before the wedding, I was starting to feel under the weather. The following day, at work I felt like I had an ear infection coming on. 'It hurt to swallow and I felt a popping sensation in my ear. 'I went to urgent care and they said it looked completely fine and there was no infection brewing. 'I woke up that Monday and my ear was completely swollen and blistered. I went back to urgent care and they put me on a steroid and antibiotic for cellulitis. 'I woke up the next day and the pain was worse. I was vomiting non-stop, I couldn't keep anything down. 'My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Then I was laying on the couch later on and making silly faces on Snapchat and couldn't feel the right side of my face moving.' Kelly continued: '[The next day] when I went to smile, the right side of my face just wouldn't move like the left side would. 'My ear had blisters on them. I was full blown panicking and crying. The pressure on my ear felt like it was going to explode. 'I went back to urgent care and they transferred me to a hospital. We were supposed to be going to our rehearsal dinner that night.' Kelly rushed back to hospital where doctors told her she'd had an allergic reaction to an IV antibiotic that had caused Bell's Palsy - a temporary weakness of one side of the face. Despite her deteriorating health, Kelly opted to go ahead with the wedding the next day. However, she made the last minute decision to slash her ceremony guest list from 200 people to 50 members of her close friends and family. Kelly said: 'I barely slept the whole night. There was barely any movement in my mouth. 'I could smile without teeth but if I tried to smile with teeth, it was definitely crooked. 'I wanted to go ahead with the wedding either way. My makeup artist was so good at hiding my paralysis.' The real cause: Days after her wedding Kelly returned to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with Ramsay Hunt syndrome Kelly contiuned: 'During the ceremony, me and the bridesmaids switched sides so my right-side paralysis wasn't facing my guests. 'The middle of the day at the venue, my right eyelid just stopped working. 'I couldn't go around taking photos anymore, my eyelid was paralysed, I couldn't blink. 'I was holding a handkerchief up to my eye to keep it shut. Everybody kept saying "sorry you're going through this". 'I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable because I couldn't smile on my wedding day. 'I couldn't drink any alcohol. I was in so much pain and so tired.' Luckily, Kelly has since regained all the movement in her face but is now urging brides-to-be to try and avoid wedding planning stress. Kelly, who is currently eight months pregnant, said: 'It's hard to believe this happened. My wedding stress definitely caused this. 'The financial stress of it definitely takes a toll. 'We got to experience first-hand early on what 'in sickness and health' actually meant. 'I tell friends stressed about wedding planning, be grateful you're in this position and don't let it stress you out, you don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day. 'Don't stress about your shoes or the weather.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Health
- New York Post
Bride's face was paralyzed and unable to smile on her wedding day — due to stress from same condition that hit Justin Bieber
Her $50,000 'dream day' turned into a medical nightmare. The trauma of wedding planning left bride Kelly Stech paralyzed, and unable to crack a smile while walking down the aisle. 'I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable because I couldn't smile on my wedding day,' Stech, 30, a hairdresser from Chicago, explained to Kennedy News. 'It's hard to believe this happened.' Advertisement 10 Bride Kelly Stech, from Chicago, experienced partial facial paralysis on her big day due to wedding planning stress. KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotography She was ultimately diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. It's a rare neurological condition in which shingles affects one's facial nerve, causing both weakness on one side of the face and hearing problems. Justin Bieber announced that he'd been stricken with the disorder in June 2022. But doctors blamed Stech's sudden distress on holy matrimony duress. Advertisement 'My wedding stress definitely caused this,' confirmed the millennial, who, despite the hitch in her health, got hitched to hubby, Benjamin, in early October 2023. 'The financial stress of it definitely takes a toll.' A newlywed's well-being is a high price to pay in exchange for the prefect big day. Still, a staggering 96% of fiancés experience wedding planning stress, according to a recent survey via Zola, an online nuptials hub. Forty percent of the couples polled consider the prepping process 'extremely stressful,' owing to organizational snafus, guest list hiccups and, of course, the crippling costs that come with saying 'I Do.' 10 Setch and Benjamin spent $50,000 — well over the national average of $26,665 — to host their 'dream' wedding day. KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotography Advertisement Sweethearts poised to tie the knot in the US can expect to fork over approximately $26,665 on a swanky celebration. From the venue to the food, the decor to the DJ, weddings can easily break the bank — as well as the person's sanity. Megan Finn, 27, a mom of two and recent bride, from Belfast, Ireland, went into psychosis and began hallucinating due to wedding planning stress. Stech, although she didn't start seeing things that weren't there, started noticing changes in her body days prior to taking the plunge. 10 The Chicagoan began feeling 'under the weather' and noticing pain in her right ear a week before her nuptials. Kennedy News and Media Advertisement 'Exactly a week before the wedding, I was starting to feel under the weather. The following day, at work I felt like I had an ear infection coming on,' she recalled. 'It hurt to swallow and I felt a popping sensation in my ear.' The then bride-to-be went to urgent care for treatment, but was told her ear looked 'completely fine,' baring no signs of an infection. Unfortunately, she was not completely fine. 'I woke up that Monday and my ear was completely swollen and blistered. I went back to urgent care and they put me on a steroid and antibiotic for cellulitis,' said Stech. 'I woke up the next day and the pain was worse.' 'I was vomiting non-stop, I couldn't keep anything down.' 10 Prior to her stress-induced medical issues, Stech could easily cut a huge smile for the camera. Kennedy News and Media 10 After several trips to urgent care, Stech realized that the right side of her mouth could no longer curl up into a smile. Kennedy News and Media It was suffering like she'd never endured. Advertisement 'My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck,' Stech groaned. 'Then I was laying on the couch later on and making silly faces on Snapchat and couldn't feel the right side of my face moving.' '[The next day] when I went to smile, the right side of my face just wouldn't move like the left side would,' she added. 'My ear had blisters on them. I was full blown panicking and crying. The pressure on my ear felt like it was going to explode.' On the night of her rehearsal dinner, the beleaguered belle returned to urgent care, then immediately transferred to a hospital for more specialized support. Rather than enjoying a pre-wedding meal with friends and family, Stech was under intense medical supervision. 10 Stech was rushed to the hospital for treatment on the night of her rehearsal dinner. Kennedy News and Media Advertisement Physician initially believed she'd had an allergic reaction to an IV antibiotic that had caused Bell's Palsy — a temporary weakness of one side of the face. But even with the prognosis, Stech refused to cancel or postpone her ring-swap ceremony. Instead, she simply chopped the guest list down from 200 to 50 loved ones, and carried on without hesitation — nor the ability to grin. 'I barely slept the whole night. There was barely any movement in my mouth,' she remembered. 'I could smile without teeth but if I tried to smile with teeth, it was definitely crooked.' 'I wanted to go ahead with the wedding either way.' Advertisement With the help of a skillful makeup artist, and the gal pals in her bridal party, Stech managed to conceal her paralysis for most of the day. 10 Despite her medical woes, Stech refuse to cancel her marriage ceremony. KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotography 10 Stech relied on her makeup artist and bridal party to help hid her facial issues. KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotography 10 After her eyelid stopped working, Stech remembers wedding invitees showering her with sympathy. KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotography Advertisement Tragically, half-way through the festivities, her right eyelid 'just stopped working.' 'I couldn't go around taking photos anymore, my eyelid was paralysed, I couldn't blink,' she said. 'I was holding a handkerchief up to my eye to keep it shut. Everybody kept saying 'Sorry you're going through this.'' 'I couldn't drink any alcohol,' continued the hapless honoree. 'I was in so much pain and so tired.' Days after her frightful fête, Stech learned she had Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can be treated with antiviral medications and pain relievers, per Cleveland Clinic. 10 Stech strongly advises nearly-weds against sweating the small stuff ahead of their wedding days. KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotography Stech, now eight months pregnant, has since regained all the movement in her face. And she's urging brides against letting wedding planning stress get the best of them. 'We got to experience first-hand early on what 'in sickness and health' actually meant,' the mommy-to-be said of the early onset chaos she and Benjamin's suffered. 'I tell friends stressed about wedding planning, be grateful you're in this position and don't let it stress you out, you don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day,' she said. 'Don't stress about your shoes or the weather.'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Bride-to-be so stressed about wedding she's left PARALYSED and unable to smile
Kelly Stech, from Illinois, Chicago, spent a year planning for her wedding and she along with partner Benjamin splashed out £37,000 on their big day but the stress made her unwell A bride became so stressed planning her big day it left her face paralysed and unable to smile in wedding photos. Kelly Stech had spent a year organising her dream wedding to her now-husband Benjamin Stech after becoming engaged in July 2022. The couple, who began dating in early-2020 after matching on Tinder, forked out £37,000 on their dream day. However, the week before the ceremony, Kelly began feeling under the weather, complaining of earache and pain when swallowing. The following day, the 30-year-old woke up with painful, swollen blisters across her right ear, which urgent care doctors put down to the skin infection cellulitis. Over the next few days, Kelly's symptoms drastically worsened as the right side of her face became completely paralysed on the eve of her wedding. Devastated, Kelly refused to cancel her nuptials and was left devastated when she was unable to 'fully smile' in her wedding photos. Days after tying the knot on October 6, 2023, Kelly returned to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare condition where shingles affects your facial nerve, causing weakness on one side of your face and sometimes hearing problems. In June 2022, singer Justin Bieber announced that he had been diagnosed with the condition after experiencing paralysis down the right side of his face. Kelly, who works as a hairdresser in Illinois, Chicago, believes the disorder was brought on due to the strain of wedding planning over the last year. "Exactly a week before the wedding, I was starting to feel under the weather. The following day, at work I felt like I had an ear infection coming on," she said. "It hurt to swallow and I felt a popping sensation in my ear. I went to urgent care and they said it looked completely fine and there was no infection brewing. "I woke up that Monday and my ear was completely swollen and blistered. I went back to urgent care and they put me on a steroid and antibiotic for cellulitis. I woke up the next day and the pain was worse. I was vomiting non-stop, I couldn't keep anything down. "My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Then I was laying on the couch later on and making silly faces on Snapchat and couldn't feel the right side of my face moving. [The next day] when I went to smile, the right side of my face just wouldn't move like the left side would. "My ear had blisters on them. I was full blown panicking and crying. The pressure on my ear felt like it was going to explode. I went back to urgent care and they transferred me to a hospital. We were supposed to be going to our rehearsal dinner that night." Kelly rushed back to hospital where doctors said she'd had an allergic reaction to an IV antibiotic that had caused Bell's Palsy - a temporary weakness of one side of the face. Despite her deteriorating health, Kelly opted to go ahead with the wedding the next day, slashing her ceremony guest list from 200 to 50 members of her close friends and family. Kelly said: "I barely slept the whole night. There was barely any movement in my mouth. I could smile without teeth but if I tried to smile with teeth, it was definitely crooked. I wanted to go ahead with the wedding either way. My makeup artist was so good at hiding my paralysis. "During the ceremony, me and the bridesmaids switched sides so my right-side paralysis wasn't facing my guests. The middle of the day at the venue, my right eyelid just stopped working. I couldn't go around taking photos anymore, my eyelid was paralysed, I couldn't blink. "I was holding a handkerchief up to my eye to keep it shut. Everybody kept saying 'sorry you're going through this'. I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable because I couldn't smile on my wedding day. I couldn't drink any alcohol. I was in so much pain and so tired." Days after walking down the aisle, Kelly was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which the doctor said was brought on by the stress of wedding planning. Luckily, Kelly has since regained all the movement in her face but is now urging brides to try and avoid wedding day stress. Kelly, who is currently eight months pregnant, said: "It's hard to believe this happened. My wedding stress definitely caused this. The financial stress of it definitely takes a toll. "We got to experience first-hand early on what 'in sickness and health' actually meant. I tell friends stressed about wedding planning, be grateful you're in this position and don't let it stress you out, you don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day. Don't stress about your shoes or the weather."
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Bride left unable to smile in wedding photos after planning stress PARALYSED her face the night before
A BRIDE became so stressed planning her big day that her face became paralysed the night before, leaving her unable to smile in photos. Kelly Stech had spent a year organising her dream wedding to her now-husband Benjamin Stech after becoming engaged in July 2022. 9 9 9 The couple, who began dating in early 2020 after matching on Tinder, forked out $50,000 (£37,000) on their dream day on 6 October 2023. However, the week before the ceremony, Kelly began feeling under the weather, complaining of ear ache and pain when swallowing. The 30-year-old woke up with painful, swollen blisters across her right ear, which urgent care doctors put down to the skin infection cellulitis. Over the next few days, Kelly's symptoms drastically worsened. The hairdresser, who lives in Illinois, Chicago, US, said: "Exactly a week before the wedding, I was starting to feel under the weather. The following day, at work, I felt like I had an ear infection coming on. "It hurt to swallow and I felt a popping sensation in my ear. "I went to urgent care and they said it looked completely fine and there was no infection brewing. "I woke up that Monday and my ear was completely swollen and blistered. I went back to urgent care and they put me on a steroid and antibiotic for cellulitis. "I woke up the next day and the pain was worse. I was vomiting non-stop, I couldn't keep anything down. "My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Then I was laying on the couch later on and making silly faces on Snapchat and couldn't feel the right side of my face moving. "[The next day] when I went to smile, the right side of my face just wouldn't move like the left side would. "My ear had blisters on them. I was full blown panicking and crying. The pressure on my ear felt like it was going to explode. "I went back to urgent care and they transferred me to a hospital. We were supposed to be going to our rehearsal dinner that night." Doctors initially said she'd had an allergic reaction to an IV antibiotic that had caused Bell's palsy - a temporary weakness of one side of the face that can also be caused by a virus. I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable... I was in so much pain and so tired Kelly Devastated, Kelly refused to cancel her nuptials. She went ahead with the wedding the next day, slashing her ceremony guest list from 200 to 50 members of her close friends and family. Kelly said: "I barely slept the whole night. There was barely any movement in my mouth. "I could smile without teeth but if I tried to smile with teeth, it was definitely crooked. 9 9 "I wanted to go ahead with the wedding either way. My makeup artist was so good at hiding my paralysis. "During the ceremony, me and the bridesmaids switched sides so my right-side paralysis wasn't facing my guests. "The middle of the day at the venue, my right eyelid just stopped working. "I couldn't go around taking photos anymore, my eyelid was paralysed, I couldn't blink. "I was holding a handkerchief up to my eye to keep it shut. Everybody kept saying 'sorry you're going through this'. "I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable because I couldn't smile on my wedding day. "I couldn't drink any alcohol. I was in so much pain and so tired." 'Stress if often a trigger' Days after tying the knot, Kelly returned to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a complication of shingles. It's the name given to symptoms of a shingles infection affecting the facial nerve. Symptoms include blisters around the ear, scalp, hair line and inside the mouth, weakness on the affected side of the face, difficulty closing or blinking the eye and hearing loss. You don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day. Don't stress about your shoes or the weather. Kelly In June 2022, singer-songwriter Justin Bieber announced that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome after experiencing paralysis down the right side of his face. Kelly believes the disorder was brought on due to the strain of wedding planning over the last year. Facial Palsy UK says ' stress is often a trigger'. 9 9 9 The charity says: 'Many studies have shown that stress can weaken the immune system, and that people under significant stress are more likely to suffer from infections than those who are not. 'For this reason, it is believed that stress can be linked to outbreaks of shingles, and thus RHS could result.' Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After recovering, the virus continues to live in the nerves that it has infected by the virus. It is harmless unless it is reactivated. Kelly has since regained all the movement in her face but is now urging brides to try and avoid wedding day stress. Kelly, who is currently eight months pregnant, said: "It's hard to believe this happened. My wedding stress definitely caused this. "The financial stress of it definitely takes a toll. "We got to experience first-hand early on what 'in sickness and health' actually meant. "I tell friends stressed about wedding planning, be grateful you're in this position and don't let it stress you out, you don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day. "Don't stress about your shoes or the weather." What is Ramsay Hunt syndrome? Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) is a complication of shingles. It is the name given to describe the symptoms of a shingles infection affecting the facial nerve. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella zoster virus, or VZV). As a result of this infection, the facial nerve becomes inflamed and irritated. If you develop RHS, you will have had chickenpox as a child but once the spots heal and you recover the virus continues to live in the nerves that it has infected by the virus. It is harmless unless it is reactivated and should this happen new symptoms will appear. This cluster of symptoms is called RHS. The virus can be reactivated when the immune system becomes depressed and is less able to fight infection. Stress is often a trigger. Many studies have shown that stress can weaken the immune system, and that people under significant stress are more likely to suffer from infections than those who are not. For this reason, it is believed that stress can be linked to outbreaks of shingles, and thus RHS could result. If antiviral treatment is given within 72 hours of developing symptoms approximately 70 per cent of people will experience a virtually full recovery. If antiviral medication is not given within this time frame then the likelihood of making a full recovery reduces to 50 per cent. SYMPTOMS A rash or blisters in or around the ear, scalp or hair line. The blisters may also appear inside the mouth. The rash/blisters are often painful with a generalised sensation of burning over the affected area. Weakness on the affected side of your face which causes the facial muscles to droop. Difficulty closing the eye or blinking on the affected side. Altered taste on the affected half of the tongue. Loss of facial expression on the affected side. Difficulty eating, drinking and speaking as a result of weakness in the lip and cheek on the affected side. Ear, face or head pain. Hearing loss on the affected side Dizziness/vertigo Tinnitis (ringing in the ear) on the affected side. In some cases the throat may also be affected directly or indirectly via the vagus nerve Source: Facial Palsy UK
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I was so stressed on the run up to my wedding my face became paralysed - and I was unable to smile in ceremony snaps
A bride has revealed how the stress of planning her wedding left her face paralysed. Kelly Stech, from Chicago, spent a year organising her dream wedding to her now-husband Benjamin Stech after getting engaged in July 2022. The couple, who began dating in early-2020 after matching on Tinder, forked out $50,000 (£37,000) on their dream day. However, the week before the ceremony, Kelly began feeling under the weather, complaining of earache and pain when swallowing. The following day, the 30-year-old woke up with painful, swollen blisters across her right ear, which urgent care doctors put down to the skin infection cellulitis. Over the next few days, Kelly's symptoms dramatically worsened as the right side of her face became completely paralysed on the eve of her wedding. Devastated, Kelly refused to cancel her nuptials and was left distraught when she was unable to 'fully smile' in her wedding photos. Days after tying the knot on October 6th 2023, Kelly returned to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare condition where shingles affects your facial nerve, causing weakness on one side of your face and sometimes hearing problems. In June 2022, singer-songwriter Justin Bieber announced that he had been diagnosed with the condition after experiencing paralysis down the right side of his face. Kelly, who works as a hairdresser, believes the disorder was brought on due to the strain of wedding planning over the last year - and is now urging other brides to prioritise stress levels. Kelly said: 'Exactly a week before the wedding, I was starting to feel under the weather. The following day, at work I felt like I had an ear infection coming on. 'It hurt to swallow and I felt a popping sensation in my ear. 'I went to urgent care and they said it looked completely fine and there was no infection brewing. 'I woke up that Monday and my ear was completely swollen and blistered. I went back to urgent care and they put me on a steroid and antibiotic for cellulitis. 'I woke up the next day and the pain was worse. I was vomiting non-stop, I couldn't keep anything down. 'My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Then I was laying on the couch later on and making silly faces on Snapchat and couldn't feel the right side of my face moving. The couple, who began dating in early-2020 after matching on Tinder , forked out $50,000 (£37,000) on their dream day '[The next day] when I went to smile, the right side of my face just wouldn't move like the left side would. 'My ear had blisters on them. I was full blown panicking and crying. The pressure on my ear felt like it was going to explode. 'I went back to urgent care and they transferred me to a hospital. We were supposed to be going to our rehearsal dinner that night.' Kelly rushed back to hospital where doctors said she'd had an allergic reaction to an IV antibiotic that had caused Bell's Palsy - a temporary weakness of one side of the face. Despite her deteriorating health, Kelly opted to go ahead with the wedding the next day, slashing her ceremony guest list from 200 to 50 members of her close friends and family. Kelly said: 'I barely slept the whole night. There was barely any movement in my mouth. 'I could smile without teeth but if I tried to smile with teeth, it was definitely crooked. 'I wanted to go ahead with the wedding either way. My makeup artist was so good at hiding my paralysis. 'During the ceremony, me and the bridesmaids switched sides so my right-side paralysis wasn't facing my guests. 'The middle of the day at the venue, my right eyelid just stopped working. 'I couldn't go around taking photos anymore, my eyelid was paralysed, I couldn't blink. 'I was holding a handkerchief up to my eye to keep it shut. Everybody kept saying 'sorry you're going through this'. 'I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable because I couldn't smile on my wedding day. 'I couldn't drink any alcohol. I was in so much pain and so tired.' Days after walking down the aisle, Kelly was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which the doctor said was brought on by the stress of wedding planning. Luckily, Kelly has since regained all the movement in her face but is now urging brides to try and avoid wedding day stress. Kelly, who is currently eight months pregnant, said: 'It's hard to believe this happened. My wedding stress definitely caused this. 'The financial stress of it definitely takes a toll. 'We got to experience first-hand early on what 'in sickness and health' actually meant. 'I tell friends stressed about wedding planning, be grateful you're in this position and don't let it stress you out, you don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day. 'Don't stress about your shoes or the weather.'
