Listening A05

Listening A05
Extract 1: Questions 1-12

You hear a neurologist talking to a new patient called Sandra Bosworth. For questions 1-12,
complete the notes with a word or short phrase.

You now have 30 seconds to look at the notes.

Patient Sandra Bosworth

History of Condition  first symptoms approximately (1)

after giving birth (eight months ago)
 partial loss of sense of (2) (left side)
 attributed to (3) after childbirth
 next day - left eye and mouth both
(4) ‘_________________’
 husband suspected (5) ->
emergency admission
 Bell’s Palsy confirmed

Treatment  course of steroids (prednisolone)

 (6) and gauze padding for affected
eye
 she also used (7) to keep eye closed
at night
 no improvement after two weeks looking after baby
alone
 MRI scan and (8) administered
(clear)

Current symptoms  vision described as (9)

 (recently (10) ___as a result – no injury)
 unable to smile or (11) (cause of
discomfort in eye)
 facial muscles feel (12)
 synkinesis
 Listening A05

Extract one. Questions 1 to 12.

You hear a neurologist talking to a new patient called Sandra Bosworth. For questions 1 to
12, complete the notes with a word or short phrase.

M: So Sandra, I understand you’ve been referred to me because you have Bell’s Palsy, and it’s
been going on for some time?

F: That’s right.

M: OK. Well, first of all, I wonder if you could run through for me how this started, what
treatment you’ve had and so forth. I have your notes here, but it would be good to hear it
from your point of view.

F: Sure. It all began when my daughter was born, so that was what? - eight months ago now.
At first everything was fine, but after about 48-hours, I started to notice that my mouth felt
funny. I realised I couldn’t taste anything on the left side. I mean, it was strange, I could still
feel my tongue OK, but that side of my mouth had gone, sort of, numb. At the time I just put
it down to tiredness – you know lots of strange things happen to you during childbirth.

M: Indeed.

F: Anyway, when I woke up next morning, it’d got worse. I looked in the mirror and I could see
that the left side of my mouth was drooping – and my eye was the same. I didn’t know what
was going on, so I called my husband and he immediately rang for an ambulance. I mean, he
thought I must’ve had a stroke or something. So we ended up in the emergency department.

M: I see. And Bell’s Palsy was confirmed?

F: After about ten hours – yes. But I was told that this wasn’t uncommon during pregnancy and
childbirth – that I shouldn’t worry. I was sent home with a course of steroids and told to go
to my GP if it didn’t clear up in two to three weeks. We felt quite relieved to hear that. I
 Listening A05
mean, it was uncomfortable, but they gave me some ointment to put on my eye and also
some gauze padding to help me at night – because I couldn’t even close it properly. Anyway,
I couldn’t get on with that, but fortunately my local pharmacist was able to give me some
tape which did help me to keep the eye closed at night. But it was tough coping with all this
and having a newborn baby at the same time. Eventually, my husband had to go back to
work and I was essentially looking after my daughter alone.

M: So did you go back to the GP?

F: Yes I did – and he was quite surprised to find that I was no better, so he sent me for an MRI
scan to make sure that nothing else was going on – and, oh yes, I had a full blood count at
the same time. Anyway, nothing showed up and again, I was told that it should get better of
its own accord – but that it might take up to nine months. Well, that’s nearly up now, and
I’m no better, so that’s why I’m here.

M: I see. And in terms of your current symptoms?

F: Well, as you can see, I still have the facial palsy and my eyesight isn’t always very good – sort
of blurry if you know what I mean. I actually fell down the stairs last week, and I’m sure
that’s why. I didn’t hurt myself, but thank goodness I wasn’t holding my daughter at the
time. Poor kid – I’m not even able to smile properly. And of course I can’t blink either, which
leads to a lot of discomfort in my eye, which still doesn’t close at night. I really don’t feel my
face is getting better – in fact I think the muscles are getting tight, even on the other side.

M: I see. So your GP has referred you to me.

F: Yes, I went to see her because I noticed something else recently. When I try to close my eye,
that side of my mouth moves as well.

M: Oh yes. Synkinesis that’s called.

F: Oh Right.
 Listening A05

M: OK. Thank you, that’s helped me get an idea of what the problem is. Was there anything you
wanted to ask me at …. [fade]
 Listening A05

Key

PART A: QUESTIONS 1-12

1 48 hours

2 taste

3 tiredness

4 drooping

5 (a) stroke

6 ointment

7 (some) tape

8 full blood count

9 blurry

10 fell down (the) stairs

11 blink

12 tight