It affects men and women equally and can occur at any age

Former Sen. Robert Dole was known for clasping a pen in his right hand, which was injured during World War II. New York Gov. David Paterson was the nation's first blind governor replica bag, and former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland is a triple amputee wounded in the Vietnam War. A candidate's smile can be important tool. President Barack Obama is known for his friendly grin. President Ronald Reagan was famous for using his smile to win over people; his statue in the U.S. Capitol rotunda shows "The Great Communicator" with a twinkle. Foley requests replica bag TV cameras shoot him from his left side and he tries to be aware of someone sitting by his right side, to make sure they don't think he's disinterested in them. "I think a lot of times people can't pick up the emotion if they're looking at replica bag side of my face replica bag," he said, pointing to his right side. "Sometimes it's conflicting replica bag, even if there is emotion shown on one side of the face and the other is flat. Most of the times, people just read the flatness." Foley's condition came on with no warning in 1994. After getting over a cold and earache replica bag, he woke up one morning unable to blink his right eye or speak using the right side of his mouth. His lips, he said replica bag, would not form words or letters. Foley's maternal grandmother had Bell's Palsy, so he knew what had happened. That morning replica bag, he saw a neurologist who prescribed cortisone for several days to reduce swelling. For the first year, Foley said replica bag, he couldn't blink and had to sleep with an eye patch and use a special ointment to keep his eye from drying. "That first year was pretty rough," he said. "I couldn't keep food in my mouth easily. It was hard to articulate in some cases." Even today replica bag, Foley still has difficulty pronouncing words with the letters "m" and "p" in them. He said a reporter recently referred to him as "mumbles" during a TV interview. Foley also can no longer whistle, which he jokes about being "a real hardship." Foley replica bag, a Greenwich businessman who has two degrees from Harvard, has been chairman of a business investment firm since 1985. The U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2006 to 2009 Hermes Birkin bag, Foley is making his first political run. In the past, he has been known as a behind-the-scenes Republican activist replica bag, raising money for the GOP. Dr. A.J. Smalley, director of emergency medicine at Hartford Hospital replica bag, said Bell's Palsy is relatively common. It's unclear why many contract the partial paralysis, although the cold sore virus or Lyme disease are believed sometimes to be at fault.