I got two botox injections, yesterday - What do you think? Not bad, eh? Actually, those sweet lips of mine are a product of playing the trumpet in Jr. High and High School. And all that practice smooching my hubby. (How do you think we ended up with 6 kids?) Now that I've got you blushing, I'll disclose the true site of the Botox injection: my left ankle and calf. But why Botox? Post- surgery, and as my brain started limitedly communicating with the left side of my body again, I developed a mild spasticity, or clonus in my left lower leg. I would wake up in the morning and try to stand up and my knee would just bounce up and down involuntarily. Not unlike when you are seated and are nervous, (or have to go potty), and you bounce your knee up and down quickly. But I couldn't control mine. I could usually get it to go away by stretching or putting pressure on that knee. But even that proved difficult with limited use of the left side of my body. Here is an excellent example of what I affectionately refer to as my "Wonky Leg." Please note that this is not a video of me. I have difficulty shaving, but my legs are not this hairy, I promise! This mild spasticity also pulls my ankle inward which makes me more prone to rolling my ankle and falling down. I wear a brace to prevent this when I am outside of my home because the last thing I need right now is a trip to the ER for a broken hip or something of that nature.
How does Botox help me? "Botox is a nerve impulse ‘‘blocker.’’ It attaches to nerve endings and prevents the release of chemical transmitters, which activate muscles. These chemicals carry the ‘‘message’’ from the brain that tells a muscle to contract. If the message is blocked, the muscle doesn’t spasm. Botox is given by injection directly into the affected muscles." What's really funky is that it isn't just a simple injection. The Doctor attaches electrodes to the needle to shock and stimulate the muscle to contract, to make absolutely sure he's injecting the correct muscle. That was a different experience! If you are interested in Botox therapy further you can read more here. With my muscles released from their spasticity I can work on strengthening my ankle and leg in other ways through physical therapy so that my foot won't curl or drag and eventually I won't need the leg brace to walk.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
December 2020
About MeMy name is Andrea. I'm a Mormon mom in my 40's and I am fighting a rare type of brain cancer: Anaplastic Astrocytoma. |