I Miss My Smile: Kim's Battle with Bell's Palsy

*This transcript was auto-generated*

Kim Gravel: [00:00:00] Y'all this ad was paid for by leaf blowers. The leaf blower. It's kind of like the French horn of suburban streets. Open any window in America at any time of day and you'll probably hear this angelic sound of at least six leaf blowers. Do your neighbors love loud noises? Then maybe a leaf blower is for you.

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This is the key. This is going to be one of the most personal episodes I've ever shared. It hurts to smile. 

Zac Miller: Show us your smile. 

Kim Gravel: Okay. To be honest with you, Travis was really concerned and it was just overwhelming. 

Zac Miller: You said that you were almost glad that this happened to you.

Kim Gravel: Hey y'all, Kim Gravel here and welcome to the Kim Gravel Show. I've got to tell you, this is going to be one of the most personal episodes I've ever shared. [00:01:00] Like, honestly, Zac, there's nothing that I won't share. We know that. 

Zac Miller: We know that. You're ready to overshare all the time. 

Kim Gravel: Sometimes I overshare, but I just want to tell everybody that's either watching on video or listening, and I have this, like, weird kind of thing going on with my voice.

I didn't just have dental work, or dental surgery. Didn't just have a root canal. I am You know, dealing with Bell's Palsy, because you can tell by my V's, you know, my, my, my V's. Did you just do a hand clap for that? 

Zac Miller: I meant to do this. Wait, ready? Yeah. Say Bell's Palsy again. 

Kim Gravel: I am dealing with Bell's Palsy.

Palsy. Right. That's what I'm dealing with. Everybody hear me. I'm getting better. I'm seeing, seeking wonderful medical care. All is well, I don't know how it's going to last, how long it's going to last, but they they have reassured me There's no nerve damage. There's none of that. It will come back but it's brought on by stress and overwork or just [00:02:00] anything and when I woke up and I said what is going on?

and then I, I began to research. I called my doctor. He's like, look, this happens, you know, all of that tough. It hurts. Everything pulls to the other side. My neck. I've never had that before. So I, I, I, I instantly empathize with anybody going through something like this. So if you're listening to this show and you've got something you're dealing with.

It doesn't even have to be medicals, anything that's this, this thing that my mom calls it a thorn in your side, something that you always have to live with and live a life of, of joy, despite, you know, the thorn in your side. this is it. This is definitely it. And so many people have reached out because I did a live on my social media.

And I said, my dad used to always say, you're either going, you're either going into a storm You're in [00:03:00] it or you're coming out of one. Yeah, and so I said that and I can't tell you the People that have just responded kim I've dealt with Bell's palsy, or Kim, my husband just left me, or I'm in the storm right now, or I had one woman say, I'm coming out of the storm, I had, breast cancer, and I had a double mastectomy, and I'm, I'm feeling alive, I feel the best I've ever felt in a long, long time, you know, so, we're all there, in that, that, in one of those three, three spots, you know what I'm saying?

Every one of us are there 

Zac Miller: and you're you're totally right. Your dad was a smart guy. It turns out Kim show us before we get to our into this show us your smile. 

Kim Gravel: Okay, let me do it again So, let me say this can I say this I text amy my best friend the other day and i was feeling kind of low I was in the bed and because the [00:04:00] doctor says rest rest rest. I've had i've had people, you know, refer me to acupuncturist You know all of that. I was sitting in the bed the other night and I I, I was crying, I'll be honest with you, and I'm gonna get emotional talking about it right now because it was, you know, you get, you start to feel a little down and, be quite frank with you, a little sorry for yourself, and I texted Amy and I said, Woo!

I said, I just, it hurts to smile. Hmm. Hold on, hold on. I said, it hurts, it hurts so much to smile. And I said, I miss my smile. I took it for granted. And so I think there's something to that. It hurts to smile. Is that you? Do you feel that way too? And I, I mean that you who's listening to me, I could [00:05:00] not, when I said that it was such a deeper meaning than just, I have Bell's palsy.

It was such a deep rooted thing that I thought a lot of us today, it hurts to smile for whatever reason. And the funny thing about this happening, Zac was, you know, we've been building this brand launch called Love Who You Are, LWYA. For like a year and a half, we've been building up and building up and building up and it launches, you know, a week from now, I mean, a couple of days from now, actually, it launches a couple of days from now and I was so on fire about it and I'd lost all my weight, you know, I'm thinking, okay, girlfriend size eight, she gonna work it.

I'm gonna put on my, you know, and then I wake up with this. 15 days before the launch and I'm thinking oh my god I'm launching a new beauty brand called love who you are and I have bells ponzi And I heard this still small voice, you know, and [00:06:00] and it's it's god and he said, uh, yeah time to practice what you preach sis Cuz you know what, God talks to me like I talk, which is like, sassy, southerner, with a little twang.

That's how God talks to me. You know, people think God says, Well, hello, Zac, and welcome to the kingdom. You know, but to me, you know, He talks, He said, Look, girl, practice what you preach. And I, I, I said, Oh, gosh, what am I gonna do? Cuz like Zac, for two weeks, I took two weeks off at Christmas and the holidays from, you know, QVC and then I I had to sit out another week because this happened and I was so like, oh my god I keep going air with this.

I can't show up and you know, people are gonna say what's going on And so but as a business owner, I couldn't continue just to say i'm taking off i'm taking off i'm taking off So I remember the moment that I said I decided that I was going to go on air It was a wednesday morning and [00:07:00] I was scared. I was a little like oh my gosh I felt you know as a females act you might not understand this but As always women if you're listening and you hear my voice, you know our looks a lot of our No, I don't want to say identity but a lot of importance is how To us is how we look, you know, and how how we look in the mirror of what we see And so I was like, how am I gonna get on air and do this?

you know and That morning. I remember I called amy and my husband like girl, you're gonna be great You're gonna be fine. A lot of people gonna connect with this and then amy's like She felt bad for me. You know, she felt a little nervous for me because she would feel nervous if she had to do that. And, Zac, I went on air, and it was just overwhelming the love and support that came pouring down.

But what, what really, really got me was, Everybody has a Bell's palsy moment. That's, that's what, that's what blew my [00:08:00] mind. 

Zac Miller: Everyone was chiming in saying like, I have this, or I have this, or I have this medical problem, or is that what it is Kim? 

Kim Gravel: Or they were just saying, this is how I feel, like, I, I, I, like I had one woman say, I'm, I'm divorced, my husband left me, I'm staying in bed all day, I'm, I feel so, I feel so bad about myself.

And I thought, oh my gosh, all these messages about what people are struggling with. And here's this message of this, of this movement that we're trying to launch called Love Who You Are. And then I added a little tagline onto it, Right Where You Are.

Love who you are, write where you are. That's what God was saying to me. Practice what you preach. And to me, I am leaning into this in a big way. Although, I'm hoping and praying that it's temporary and I'm told by doctors it is, but even if it isn't, [00:09:00] I'm going to practice what I preach. I'm going to love who I am right where I'm at.

And that's really honestly what gets me excited because the storm is a redirect. The storm is a focus. The storm is, for lack of a better word, a blessing. You know, that's why we even did this show, Zac, Is is that we wanted people to Level up their lives, you know Embrace their confidence to collect it live out it but also to love their life because life is hard It's hard.

And a lot of times, these little annoyances, these little, whether it be a medical or financial or relational, whatever your Bell's Palsy moment is, it comes to distract. It comes to rob, [00:10:00] steal, and kill, and destroy. It comes to wear you down, but if we look at it through the lens of loving our life, it is really a redirect.

It's a focusing tool. It's a something. That in, in spite of we can love or if we lean into it, we can use it as an opportunity not only to strengthen ourselves because things like this make you stronger, you know, I would say like when I got on air that Wednesday, it was a very vulnerable moment for me and look, I'm an open book.

I'm loud and proud. you know, I, you know, I say what I mean to say, you would think there would be no hesitation, just people looking out from the outside at my personality, but it was a very vulnerable wallet for me. It's a very vulnerable wallet for me to sit here in front of you right now and, and, and look this way and [00:11:00] not be, you know, not being able to smile.

I mean, look, y'all, that's my style and it's not pretty, but it's mine and it's where I'm at and I can't control it and I can't change it and maybe where you're at and I didn't cause it. You know, maybe where you're at, you didn't, you didn't cause it, you can't change it and you can't control it, but you can lean into it and you can love where you're at at this moment, despite of it, despite it, you know, so 2024 is going to be a different kind of year for me.

I mean, I was so looking forward to 2024 about December 15th,

but now 2024, I'm [00:12:00] not looking forward to it. I'm ready to take and conquer it. I'm ready to lean into 2024 and own it and love my life. I am not going to waste one single minute of my life. And I don't want you to either. If you are dealing, and I'm not going to say if, you are dealing with something.

Everybody is that. I mean, and it can be as small as they're your kids acting up, your grandchildren, you know, being tailholes. It can be you know, it could be you having a problem in your marriage It could be you're lonely and want to be married. It can be that you're financially struggling because lord knows, you know That's where a lot of people are at today.

It could be you're dealing with a medical diagnosis that that's that's disappointing shocking or Or not even promising right? [00:13:00] But

this year join me in a slew of other strong fierce amazing beautiful women And join our community and let's love who we are, right where we're at, right? It's time. We can't hold back anymore. We can't say, when I get better, or when I have more money, or when I lose weight, or, you know, whatever that is, fill in the blank.

Let's not wait anymore. Let's start living and loving the life that we have and love is not always, you know, hearts and roses and chocolate candies. Sometimes love is a little painful. It's work. It's work. It's work. [00:14:00] But if you're willing, I know I am. I'm doing it right now. I mean, to be honest with you, Travis was really concerned.

Travis was really scared. I've never seen him kind of nervous. not, not because my face is, you know, but I've always been so strong. I've always been so present, so there, I've always been so like, suck it up, buttercup, we can do this, you know what I'm saying? and for one, for, for once, I was, you know, not like wanting to participate in the holidays with my family.

I would just sit in my room and, you know, I was then watching nothing. I would just, the TV just would be on and I would just be sitting there going, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? So. To all my strong women out there that are always having to hold it down for everybody, you are a shero, and I love you, but you've got to [00:15:00] take care of yourself.

I had to learn that the hard way, you know? And I would just lay there in my bed, and I just wanted to say, you know, I give up, Uncle, you know, I just wanted to call Uncle and just say, I give up, I'm out. And in a way, I did that, and it was the best thing I could do. So I decided to put on my makeup, put on my lip gloss with a crooked smile and all, And get back in the game.

And so whatever your Bell's palsy moment is, get back in the game. Get back in the game. You know, Zac, it's, it's been, it's been a game changer for me. I had to make the choice though. I had to make the choice to decide to love who I am right where I'm at. Let's take a break. But after the break, we're going to be talking about how I'm making this mess into my message.[00:16:00] 

Zac Miller: You said something in your live stream the other day that really took me aback. And it was that you said. That you were almost glad that this happened to you. Can you talk to that? Speak to that? 

Kim Gravel: The word almost is key.

Okay. I mean, I ain't some like spiritual arrived person. I'm telling y'all I'm so not arrived. It's not like I'm so like, I'm lost as Easter egg. 99 percent of the time. People don't believe that about me, but it's the truth. People say, oh, she Kim's got it together. I ain't got nothing together. So when I'm say almost glad, almost is emphasize all caps.

Uh, because the, the reason I say that is because it's made me stop and slow down. I had a, I had a friend call me today, this morning. he's a dear friend. His name is Lawrence Darien. And, he called me and said, You know, this is God telling you [00:17:00] to take a beat. And I said, Yeah, I, I, you're completely right.

Because I was working myself to death and a lot of us are doing that and a lot of us are you know I'm a workaholic that you're a workaholic. I come from a long line of work. Hello. I'm Kim Gravel and i'm a workaholic a lot of us are recovering workaholics in um in busy bees, you know, a lot of people don't want to be bored or You know, they don't want to take time to just stop and smell the roses.

And that's me. I'm at full disclosure. That's me. but this forced slowdown is what I'm glad for. Like Thursday, I, I sat in, in bed and at my, I only sat at my desk for three hours. It was so amazing. And I went, I took, I took two naps and, I didn't go to my son's basketball game. They have 5, 000 a week.

And I said, you know what Travis, [00:18:00] I'm going to skip this one. I'm going to stay at home and rest. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now we won the game, but I'm glad the kids won the game. But honestly, I didn't really miss it. It was nice just to take a few, an evening, and just, you know, Read a book alone. So when I say I'm almost glad this happened, I'm not glad and happy about how it's painful.

And it's, it's really altered my, my smile because I do miss smiling. I do. I'm glad that it has made me present and understand it's just been a vapor. We're here for a short amount of time. And sometimes whatever your slowdown is, some people might need to pick up the pace. You know what I'm saying? Some people need to push.

You know, some people need to slow down. Some people need to stand up. Some people need to cut it [00:19:00] off. Ooh, some people need to cut something off. A relationship, uh, a habit, whatever. You know, I used to love my fast food, Zac. Remember that? Oh, yeah. Ooh, I love this Chick fil A. Do you drive through a lot? Did you ever drive through a lot?

Zac Miller: A lot. When I was working in TV. Right. All the time. Yeah. Especially on the road. You don't eat well on the road. 

Kim Gravel: You don't eat well. You can't. You can't. But do you start selling? Some people have to cut some things off. So that's what I'm talking about. Like whatever that almost glad thing you've got going on, that thorn in your side, you Maybe it's speaking to you.

The challenges we're going through don't, don't have to tear us down. They can be the stepping stones to take us higher. Not only is it a lesson through this struggle, but there's a [00:20:00] blessing.

So if you're ready to join me on this journey in 2024 of loving who you are, right where you're at, and some of you might say, Kim, I'm not ready, but do you think you could learn to love who you are right where you're at? You know, some people are like, I'm ready for any uncle. Let's go. I've got you, Kim.

I'm there with you. And some people are like, I don't know, this sounds like a bunch of little hot. Hocus pocus, nonsense, like, oh, girl, are you just trying to be positive? I'm not talking about not recognizing the struggle. I'm talking about the struggle being your friend. And some of you might be saying, Kim, I can't say I'm there yet, but I'm willing to learn to love who I am.

If that is you, you are in the right place. And you know what I love? I want to hear [00:21:00] what your Bell's Palsy moment is. Maybe, maybe, you know, Zac, I'm telling you, when I tell you I have gotten hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people commenting what their, what their Bell's Palsy moment is. It's to the point where I'm like, does everybody have something?

We all got something. We all got something, Zac. 

Zac Miller: Every single person's got something. We've got something. So yeah, so send us an email. Leave us a voicemail. Go to our website, KimGravelShow. com. Send us a message. Tell us. And maybe we'll talk about it on the show. Because that's what we're doing this season, right?

This season is all about loving who you are. It's all about living that message.

Kim Gravel: As the season goes on, we will be talking about how to do that and what that looks like. I'm not talking about a bunch of narcissists. Okay, let me tell you something people listen, this is why Bell's palsy. We're telling you something people the world is full of people who Who are obsessed with their selves, but let me tell you something.

Sometimes you can you [00:22:00] can Celebrate the struggle a little bit too much to see to me. The bell's palsy is not important It's I don't focus on that anymore And how I look, I focus on who it touches. Now, I did not realize there was such power in the problem. 

Zac Miller: Yeah. Power in the problem. I like that, Kim.

Kim Gravel: When it's true, right? There's such power in our problems because it connects us. It draws us together. Really like, okay, let me give you an example. Like. You might not have the same faith I have, or you might not have the same, ethnicity as I have, or you might not live in the same region as I have, or you might not think the way I think, but what we all have in common is struggle.

We all got struggle unites us.

That's what we can relate to each other on. [00:23:00] There's where your, your connection comes in. None of us have it together. None of us are absent of struggle and every struggle Matters pain is pain. It don't matter what it is. I mean, I had I had one young woman. This is great I love this and one young woman which I says miss Kim.

She was young. She's in college She was like I saw your live and I'm praying for you about your bells palsy, but I failed my final in college There was an English final or like lit class She had and she failed her final and she said I've got to retake the class now cuz I I didn't notice that. Well, sometimes these college classes, all you have is one test at the end of the semester.

Did you know that? 

Zac Miller: I've had classes like that. I've had a class where 100 percent of the grade was one test at the end. And that was it. Oh! It was terrible. 

Kim Gravel: You know, and I thought to myself, gosh, we've all, we're all struggling with stuff. All of us. And that's what [00:24:00] unites us. So this is what this is, this is what this community, the Love Who You Are community is all about.

We're here to lift each other up, we're here to struggle together, and we're here to love who we are right where we're at. So, y'all, buckle up, because we're gonna do it this season. Bells, funnels, and y'all, this might not come back, the doctor said it would. But I, you know, don't start Googling ailments online.

Because if you do that, I was like, Oh, you're Kim MD. 

Zac Miller: Don't do Kim MD. I don't think Kim MD is a very good idea. Not that you wouldn't be a good M. D. 

Kim Gravel: I would be an awful M.D. You do not want me doing your medical stuff. Now, if you want me to put your, beat your face and put some makeup on you and we live by that, I could do it.

There you go. 

Zac Miller: That you could do. That you could do it. No, just don't. Yeah. Don't look up your medical stuff online. Kim, can I ask you a question? Yeah. How much did your, like, was there like a voice inside your head? Like that negative voice inside your head that started [00:25:00] coming up and getting really loud when this happened?

Kim Gravel: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it gets loud all the time, anytime, so, but, I mean, I guess what really hit me was like, you know, this is my career, this is my livelihood, and, I started seeing everything slip away and go away. The, the fear was speaking louder than the faith. It's so funny how fear,

It's a liar. Fear is nothing but a big fat liar. And liars don't tell the truth and they distract from what's the truth. And that's exactly what fear does. And so anytime I start getting fearful that my face won't come back, I start [00:26:00] really thinking of the things that I love about my life, which is I do miss my smile, but I can still laugh.

I still can make people laugh. I still, even with the crooked smile. That's gotta make some people laugh me just doing that. So, I mean, there's a lot that's, you know what I'm saying? There's a lot that, there's a lot to be grateful for. So, and, and fear and, gratefulness, anxiety and gratefulness. depression and gratefulness cannot coexist.

So I have to start thinking, gosh, I'm grateful that kid come and, and, and be and do my job on tv. It's with Bell's Palsy. But not only that, I'm grateful that people connect with the message and that people are saying, Kim. This is what I'm struggling with, but I'm so grateful the connection is still there.

And it really has nothing to do with, with my faith and everything to do with my heart. 

Zac Miller: Do you think it's changed recently? Like, do you think that [00:27:00] you would have been able to go on TV with Bell's Palsy? Like, I don't know, 10 years ago, 20 years ago before we were sort of in this moment of social media where we sort of relate to people on a different way and we see people struggles a little 

more publicly.

Kim Gravel:  I don't know. I don't know, Zac. That's a good question. I don't, I don't know if it's, I think the timing is right, but I don't, I don't know why it's happened now, but I don't think I would have done it if I hadn't been forced to get on TV and do it. Like I had no choice, you know, and I will say that sometimes a lot of us don't have a choice.

I mean, if you've been diagnosed with breast cancer, you don't have a choice. You have to soldier through, you have to, you have to, you know, really find your way through the struggle. You're in the weeds and you got to find your way out. But the great thing about it is there are lessons of loving who [00:28:00] you are through the whole process.

Again, I'm gonna go back to what, you know, that still small voice God whispered to my spirit. He said, girl, you gotta practice what you preach. It's easy to say, love who you are, girl. when you seemingly have everything all together, which none of us do, but you know, this has put a a kink in it and I truly can say I do love who I am, but I'm having to do it right where I'm at and that can be a little bit more challenging.

See, that's great. You know, the whole, the whole time we're developing the line, You know, and I was like, love who you are. He said, love yourself, love who you are. And you know, me and my little flamboyant rickrack way, I'm just like, girl, love who you are. But when you add on right where you're at, that's when it gets hard.

The right where you're at part came [00:29:00] when the bells falsely came. I ain't never said right where you're at until this happened to me.

Zac Miller: That's the realness. That's like, that's the moment that, like, you were forced to live it. 

Kim Gravel: It's easy to say, love who you are. And be positive, but when you say right where you're at, that's where it gets, that's where the metal hits, the pedal hits the metal.

What is that called? The metal hits the pedal. What is that? 

Zac Miller: Uh, where the rubber hits the road. 

Kim Gravel: The rubber hits the road. 

Zac Miller: Kim, I want to show you something. I want your take on something. Now that you, now that we're talking about this, we're talking about your smile. There's a famous smile that I've been thinking about a lot.

 and I want to get your take and I want to know, do you think that the Mona Lisa maybe had Bell's palsy? Yeah. 

Kim Gravel: I don't know. She looks pretty even to me. I don't know. She's just pretty though. Isn't she pretty? She's pretty Was she a real person or was that just a made up like that? I think it was a real person.

Yeah, okay Or that was his fantasy woman or something. So she's a real person. [00:30:00] Okay. I think so. She looked like she had Bell's palsy. She looked like she's like, let me tell you something. These boys don't clean their house or flush the toilets and do what they're supposed to do. They do the homework. I'm out of here.

Zac Miller: Oh my gosh. I'm coughing because I'm like, I just recovered from COVID. We've had a rough year so far, Kim. It's been a hard 2024 so far. 

Kim Gravel: I don't know. I'm telling you 2024 has been like this. But we're going to get there, y'all. We're going to do it together. We're going to do it together. 

Zac Miller: Just tell me, because I know everyone's curious what's coming up with Love Who You Are.

I know, you know, we're talking about that message a lot this season on the podcast, but you have this new brand. What's coming up for the brand? What can people look forward to? 

Kim Gravel: I love who you are is a lifestyle brand y'all and it's going to have a podcast inspirational books We've got a home line launching a holiday line launching a lot of different lifestyle elements, but the message to me is what's the most important [00:31:00] because with this limited Amount of time we have and it is limited I was sitting with my mom and dad friday at breakfast and my dad said, you know, i've just been thinking a lot You I hope I'm here to see, you know, that his youngest grandson, Brantley, graduate.

And, you know, that's like seven years, eight years from now, and he's 78. And I thought to myself, wow. And he leaned over and he goes, I don't know where the time went, Kim. And I thought, that's how short it is. It goes by so fast not to love it. And we have to remind ourselves to love it because we're living it every day.

And we get in that monotonous, in that grind, and some of us are in that, the [00:32:00] struggles, all of us aren't really, we're in those struggles, and we're focusing on the struggle, but we've got to focus on what we love about our lives more. Because like my dad said, I hope I have it, I hope I have another seven or eight years.

Because it goes like that, so why not have fun, why not love it, all love it, right where we're at.

Give me some tunes, honey, give me some, give me some music, whoa, whoa, cutie. The Kim Gravel Show is produced and edited by Zac Miller at Uncommon Audio. Our associate producer is Kathleen Grant, the Brunette Exec. Production help from Emily Bredin and Sara Noto. Our cover art is designed by Sanaz Huber at Memarian Creative, and Mike Kligerman edits the show.

Talent booking by Central Talent Booking. And a special thanks to the team at QVC. Head over to kimgravelshow.com and sign up for our mailing list. [00:33:00] Again, we can't do this without you. So thank you for listening and we love you.