Hello, Blog World. Long time, no write. Well. a lot has happened since my last post. Probably one of the biggest would be that I successfully finished my first semester of college. To say that I am relieved would be an understatement. I love heading into a second semester. This will be an opportunity to grow from the mistakes of the past. I may not have done as well as I might have liked to this semester, but I know what I need to do next time. Learning is part of the process, right?
You might also be interested that I got Botox injections this month. Your mind just went to cosmetics, didn't it? No. I did not get work done on my face. I had injections in both my arm and my leg. That would be a total of 4 shots. It's quite different from the Botox that you envision. Most of the time, you see an almost nonexistent thin needle being injected in the face. However, for this procedure, I had to lay down on the table, which later, I found was probably best, because if I had been sitting up, I probably would have fallen over or backwards. They numbed my arm and leg, but also, before hand, asked if I wanted any painkillers. I, having never had this procedure before, was unsure whether I did or not. So I asked. "Do I want painkillers?" The young nurse, trying to be honest, yet not alarming paused. She looked at the other nurse, who seemed older and much more experienced, waiting for an answer. The experienced nurse almost immediately replied, "Yeah. She's gonna want some." So I said, okay and they gave me some. After numbing my left side, we waited for the doctor, who finally came in and explained a little bit. It would take a while for the botox to take effect and then it would take a couple of weeks for it to take full effect. Then we started. They used the biggest needle I have ever seen, and slowly injected the drug into my muscles. They also used an electroshock machine to help it "wake up" the paralyzed muscles. The initial pain of the needle was pretty painful, but the shocks just amplified the pain. It took about half an hour and then I was able to leave, sore and exhausted, but optimistic for the results.
It's been 3 weeks since the procedure, and it's been working extremely well! My hand, which I haven't been able to open for 10 years, now opens with ease. And, my foot, which always used to turn out and under (tripping me on many occasions) has been corrected. I would say the only downsides would be that my hand is somewhat weak, so I can't grasp things and also can't carry things with that hand. I also still have no control over my left ankle, which is a little tough to get around for walking. However, having no pain, hardly any twitching and an open hand makes it an even trade. I'm so looking forward to seeing how much more it will help with the proceeding rounds of Botox. My next round should be in March. I'll be sure to update how it effects me even more.
As for now, this is where I leave you.
Ever yours, Dystoniac
