Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Tune-In-Tuesday: April 19, 2022

Wonders never cease - I'm updating this blog on a Tuesday!! 

I thought I'd jump on here and give a (hopefully) quick update. Tomorrow, it will be two weeks since I got Botox. It's been an eventful two weeks. One of my nieces turned 6 and had an epic birthday party including blowing sleet and snow - ha! I've driven the tractor train at my church's Easter Fest and I celebrated Easter at church and with my family. Oh, and I also fell three times and might have sprained my hand. :) 

The good news about the falls is that I don't think they had anything to do with the Botox working/not working. Two of the falls came 3 days after getting the Botox and one fall came a week after I got it. Two falls happened within an hour or so of each other. One was caused by me accidentally stepping backwards and catching my foot on a sign. I lost my balance and basically just sat down on my butt. The second fall happened because I was rushing, the wind was blowing hard and blowing sleet and snow in my face and I wasn't paying attention. That was the fall that I might have sprained my hand on. This is when having a brother who's an ER doctor comes in handy! My hand was killing me, but I could move it, so I knew it probably wasn't broken, but he checked it out and made sure. It hurt for a couple of days, but then was fine. The third fall I took was in the grocery store parking lot and it was caused by being completely startled by barking dogs in a neighboring car. I was holding on to a cart at the time and just went down on my knees, which wouldn't have been a problem had I not just bloodied those knees (actually, just one knee, my left) four days earlier. I can tell that I'm a professional Band-Aid applier though because I literally grabbed one out of my purse, wiped the blood from my knee and applied it to my knee all while walking into the store. The reason I don't think any of these falls were caused by the Botox is because my neurologist said not to expect to see anything for the first week or so. Plus, I probably would have fallen - Botox or not - anyway in those circumstances. So, I'm no worse for the wear. 

As for the Botox, I can't tell if it's working for or against me just yet. Some days I think I can tell it's negatively affecting me and other days I think it's helping and still other days I remind myself it hasn't been at least 2 weeks yet. I'm not really sure what to expect or what to feel/not feel if it's working. So, I'm just (still) waiting. 

As of, April 4, I have returned to in-person work. My company has us working three days in the office and two at home now. Returning to in-person has been nothing short of AMAZING!!!! I knew I missed it, what I didn't know was how much I missed it until I went back. In-person work has meant that I've had to do more walking. I've been using the walker to get in and out of the building and for long distance walking but using the cane while walking short distances in the building. Of course, my second day back, the fire alarms went off. I sit on the second floor. Although I knew it was probably a false alarm, I made my way precariously down the stairs. A co-worker was kind enough to walk slowly with me. I was half walking slowly because I didn't want to have to walk all the way outside just to return back to the building if it truly was a false alarm, but the other half of me was walking slow and precariously because that's literally all I could do. Halfway down the steps, we got the word that it was indeed a false alarm, and we could return to our desks. Today, when I walked in the building there was an "out of order" sign on the elevator. Now, there is another elevator in the building, but it's towards the back of the building and I was in the front of the building. I could have (probably should have) gone and used that elevator, but I did not. There's not that many steps up to the second story of the building, so I decided to fold my walker up and just walk them and I made it. I stopped once to let two people by but didn't ask for their help because I only had a few more steps to go. By the time I left work, the elevator was fixed - yay!

The more I walk, the better I'll get at it. I have to get those neuropathways dug again! I just have to get over the fear of falling. I am convinced though that I'll be able to sideline the cane again someday. :) I may not necessarily sideline the walker though. I wasn't 100% when I didn't use either the cane or the walker - I was just stubborn. Now, I think I may continue using the walker when I'm in parking lots or when I have to walk long distances purely for safety's sake. If I don't need it when I reach my destination then I'll sideline it, but at least I won't get "stuck" somewhere and not be able to walk without falling. 

OK, so this didn't turn out to be a quick update after all, but you probably already knew that it wasn't going to be. I'll update again when there's something to update about. Until then, always remember...God's Got This!

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Tune-In-Tuesday (But on a Wednesday): April 6, 2022

I can't seem to ever update this blog anymore on an actual Tuesday, but the titles are going to remain Tune-In-Tuesdays because I don't have the brain power to think of another name for them. ;) 

This morning, I was listening to the news while getting ready and I heard Tiger Woods say something to the effect of "Golfing's not the hard part. Walking is the hard part." And I thought to myself truer words have never been spoken! Finally, someone else thinks walking is the hard part too - ha!

Today, I got Botox. No, not in my face (where I could actually use it!), but in my leg. Now in a few weeks all the wrinkles with fall off my leg. ;) It's actually to help "paralyze" the muscle that's causing my foot to turn in. It's temporary as it only lasts about 3 months. I have tried Botox before - 17 and 11 years ago respectively - and it didn't work, but hopefully, there have been advancements in it since then and I'm cautiously optimistic that it will work this time. I also have faith in my neurologist. If he said it's worth another shot (haha, I didn't mean for that to be a pun, but it is), then I'll give it another shot. :) Seventeen years ago, I developed an antibody to one strain of Botox (discovered through a blood test). But again, it's been a long while, so maybe this time it will work. 

I know my leg is whiter than the Band-Aid - ignore that! This is where the Botox was injected.

I realized something tonight as I watched Chicago Med on TV. I realized that my neurologist is hopelessly optimistic, whether he realizes it or not and that wears off on me every so often (which I am very thankful for). I'm not an innately optimistic person. I wish I were, but my underlying tendency is to be pessimistic, no matter what I display on the outside. I need to constantly surround myself with optimistic people, so that their cheery disposition rubs off on me! Anyway, I was watching Chicago Med tonight and one of the doctors on there (Dr. Halstead for any that watch) just struck me as hopelessly optimistic about his patient and then it struck me that my neurologist is the same way. My neurologist is always thinking about what we can do next to improve my walking and it gives me hope.

I'm not usually one to be deterred by needles, but for whatever reason today when my neurologist pulled out the needle with Botox, I must have given him some kind of look of nervousness because he immediately said, "OK, let's just talk. Did you follow any of the basketball championship?" I did not in fact follow any of the basketball championship games or March Madness, but it didn't matter. It was just the distraction I needed. I did know who won the championship (yay me!). We ended up talking teams more than basketball. He roots for UNC and Georgia. I root for Tennessee and Alabama. :) He told me before the injection that I wouldn't see any results today or tomorrow or even in the next few days. It may take a week or so and it could also backfire on me and cause me even more walking problems, but we have to try, right?! He said that if it does cause my walking to be worse, he could prescribe a brace for me to wear until the effects of the Botox wear off. He also said physical therapy could help. He almost got me to commit to PT. He said, "If I prescribed it, would you do it?" and I stopped short of fully committing to it. I know I should, but...well, let's just say it's not completely off the table yet, but it's on hold. ;)  After the injection I thanked him so much for distracting me while he gave it to me. Again, I'm not sure why the needle gave me hesitation, I mean, I have had deep brain stimulation surgery, but it did and he diffused my anxiety.

So now, I wait. What's new - ha! I feel like I'm constantly in a waiting game. :) I obviously have not mastered patience, so once again, God's teaching me! So, I wait, but not without hope! Because after all... God's Got This!