Narrative:

On monday morning, I awoke with a funny feeling on my face's left side. Nothing big. I worked that day without any significant problems -- though I did dribble when I took a drink of water once or twice. The next day, I awoke with further deterioration of facial control. I considered calling in sick, but did not. I asked my wife, as I left for work, to call my doctor and schedule an appointment for the next day. At work that day, I had significantly more problems, eye dryness uncontrolled tear production, etc. As a consequence of this, I spent much of the day flying with 1 eye closed. This was particularly true during the afternoon as we flew toward the sun. I told the captain I would not be returning for the third day's trip and advised him to keep an eye on me. I went to the doctor the third day and was diagnosed with bell's palsy, a temporary facial paralysis caused by infection. I should probably have called in sick on monday, the first day of this series of trips. I definitely should have called in sick on tuesday. I did not call in sick due to my employer's sick leave policy. By calling in sick, I am now to lose 5 hours of pay for apr/04. Since the maximum pay is 85 hours, this is a pay cut of about 6%. I am already working for 40% of my former salary. This is due to downsizing, being demoted from captain as well as forced pay cuts. The extra 6% from sick leave use colored my judgement and had me flying when I should not have. I always thought I would have enough professional integrity to not fly if I was sick, but when push came to shove, the pay cut did influence me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the bell's palsy episode lasted for about a month and was essentially limited to the symptoms described in the base report. The reporter's doctor did suggest that the condition could last anywhere from a few days to a yr or more and that it was possible the symptoms could proliferate to the point that speech could become slurred, to the point that it might be difficult to understand.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO ON B757 CONTINUES TO FLY DESPITE PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS CONSISTENT WITH POTENTIALLY SERIOUS MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES.

Narrative: ON MONDAY MORNING, I AWOKE WITH A FUNNY FEELING ON MY FACE'S L SIDE. NOTHING BIG. I WORKED THAT DAY WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT PROBS -- THOUGH I DID DRIBBLE WHEN I TOOK A DRINK OF WATER ONCE OR TWICE. THE NEXT DAY, I AWOKE WITH FURTHER DETERIORATION OF FACIAL CTL. I CONSIDERED CALLING IN SICK, BUT DID NOT. I ASKED MY WIFE, AS I LEFT FOR WORK, TO CALL MY DOCTOR AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT DAY. AT WORK THAT DAY, I HAD SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PROBS, EYE DRYNESS UNCTLED TEAR PRODUCTION, ETC. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS, I SPENT MUCH OF THE DAY FLYING WITH 1 EYE CLOSED. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY TRUE DURING THE AFTERNOON AS WE FLEW TOWARD THE SUN. I TOLD THE CAPT I WOULD NOT BE RETURNING FOR THE THIRD DAY'S TRIP AND ADVISED HIM TO KEEP AN EYE ON ME. I WENT TO THE DOCTOR THE THIRD DAY AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BELL'S PALSY, A TEMPORARY FACIAL PARALYSIS CAUSED BY INFECTION. I SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE CALLED IN SICK ON MONDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF THIS SERIES OF TRIPS. I DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE CALLED IN SICK ON TUESDAY. I DID NOT CALL IN SICK DUE TO MY EMPLOYER'S SICK LEAVE POLICY. BY CALLING IN SICK, I AM NOW TO LOSE 5 HRS OF PAY FOR APR/04. SINCE THE MAX PAY IS 85 HRS, THIS IS A PAY CUT OF ABOUT 6%. I AM ALREADY WORKING FOR 40% OF MY FORMER SALARY. THIS IS DUE TO DOWNSIZING, BEING DEMOTED FROM CAPT AS WELL AS FORCED PAY CUTS. THE EXTRA 6% FROM SICK LEAVE USE COLORED MY JUDGEMENT AND HAD ME FLYING WHEN I SHOULD NOT HAVE. I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE ENOUGH PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY TO NOT FLY IF I WAS SICK, BUT WHEN PUSH CAME TO SHOVE, THE PAY CUT DID INFLUENCE ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE BELL'S PALSY EPISODE LASTED FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND WAS ESSENTIALLY LIMITED TO THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE BASE RPT. THE RPTR'S DOCTOR DID SUGGEST THAT THE CONDITION COULD LAST ANYWHERE FROM A FEW DAYS TO A YR OR MORE AND THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THE SYMPTOMS COULD PROLIFERATE TO THE POINT THAT SPEECH COULD BECOME SLURRED, TO THE POINT THAT IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.