Irascible Ink

So it’s the day before Botox, Round I-Have-No-Idea-What-Number, and I feel freaking phenomenal. I keep thinking that by now I should feel like the drugs are wearing off. I keep waiting for the back pain to come back, or for my calves to feel like they’re in a vice. Or to fall on my face and get some fresh road rash. Something that let’s me know that it’s time for a top-up. Funny thing is, I feel really really good.

Sure there’s some occasional tightness in my glute med which has been working hard lately to get rid of some of the remaining scissor-gait and internal rotation of my thigh. But I’ve been able to manage that with strategic long-haul cardio and stretches. And some days, particularly after a long day of sitting, or a hard day at the gym, my left hamstrings get angry (ok, livid might be a better description), but a couple of hours in my oh-so-stylish AFOs (ankle-foot orthotics) and they usually chill out. I feel so good that it scares me.

So I’ve been scouring the internet to see what other folks who’ve have or have had these treatments are experiencing. From what I can tell, most people report a lessening effect around 10 weeks or so. And here I am at week 13, still feeling limber. I mean, ultimately, the drugs will wear off. They treat the spasticity, they don’t cure it. The same wonky brain signals are firing, just as they were before. I can’t help but feel that the exercise is the key here. Time consuming, sometimes grueling, sometimes mind-numbing workouts—but I can’t help but feel that it’s made the difference. Maybe things are tightening back up, but as we’d hoped the strength gains in opposing muscle groups have made them better able to fight the spastic ones? Maybe that’s why I’m still moving better than I have in my life. . .?  Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part. . .honestly, I don’t really care, it works so I am sticking with it.

Although, it would be nice if someone would do a study . . . just sayin’.