Facial Shift: Adjusting to an Altered Appearance (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780692659793)

Your face, and your life, has been radically altered. Accident, military injury, medical condition...the result is the same. You are now having to confront the world with a "different" face, and understandably this has wrecked your self-image and undermined your confidence, leaving you with a thousand questions and concerns including:

• What should I do when people stare at me?
• What are my medical options?
• Wouldn't it be easier if I just stayed home and didn't go anywhere?
• And most significantly, How will this physical change affect current and future relationships?
• Will anyone ever be able to love me?

In Facial Shift, author Dawn Shaw addresses those questions and more. Dawn was born with a rare tumor, the removal of which left her face half-paralyzed. She has lived her entire life, nearly half a century, with a different face, yet has been able to lead a happy and productive life. She doesn't allow her different face to stop her from interacting with the world, and joins the visible likes of Lizzie Velazquez, whose rare condition which doesn't allow her to retain body fat once earned her the title of "ugliest woman on the internet," and severely burned Iraq war veteran turned actor/author/speaker JR Martinez, in overcoming their physical differences and who work instead to influence the world in a positive way. Lizzie became a best-selling author and motivational speaker, starring in her own documentary in 2015. JR acted in All My Children, won Dancing with the Stars in 2011, and penned a best-selling memoir.

While not quite as high-profile, Dawn's successes include becoming an award-winning video editor, earning international certification as an Icelandic horse trainer, hosting an online webinar series addressing appearance-related issues called Friending the Mirror, and sharing her universal message of resilience and embracing differences with groups of varying ages as a professional motivational speaker. Dawn has also been in a happy marriage for twenty years and counting.

Yes, there will be challenges and emotional pain to endure. However, there can also be triumph, joy and love. This book will help you:

• Evaluate your own feelings about your change.
• Understand the reactions of others.
• Avoid social isolation.
• Gain confidence that romance is possible.
• Take control of your life so you can move forward.

Facial Shift is about integrating your life before and after, and is a helpful guide to navigating the world with a facial difference. You can count on it as a source of hope, validation and reassurance, as well as a link to a vibrant community of people who can share experiences and tips for dealing with the common challenges associated with surviving, and thriving in the world with a changed countenance.