If it weren't for every-three-months Botox injections, this blog may not be getting much love these days! Sorry it's been three months since I last updated, but there really hasn't been much to update on.
I saw my neurologist, Dr. T. today for a Botox injection and ended up leaving with homework to do. :) I wasn't expecting anything that happened today with this appointment, including Dr. T. coming to get me out of the waiting room (and not his nurse). He watched me walk and I got nervous. I told him not to watch and he laughed and said he was sorry but that was his job. I told him walking has been difficult these past few weeks. In the past week or so, my leg has been spasming at night. I'm thankful I don't have restless leg syndrome, but I imagine what I've been experiencing is kind of like that. My leg just jerks (mainly at night when I'm lying in bed, thankfully, but as my dad can attest, it's happened when I am walking too). Dr. T. said that is probably the Botox wearing off. We discussed options. Dr. T. tested my muscle strength and (I think!) he was surprised. He said I had great strength to which I replied that I knew that it's just my brain (getting the signal to my leg and foot) that's the problem. I later logged on to my patient portal to find out exactly how many units of Botox he injected and noticed that he put my muscle strength at 5 out of 5. I told him that I often walk "stiff legged" (not bending my left knee) because I feel like if I bend my knee, I'll lose control of my leg or that it will spasm. This gave him an idea. He said he could inject the Botox into my hamstring. I was all for it. I usually am. I really will try anything (I mean I did have deep brain stimulation surgery after all!).
So, we decided to stay at the same amount of Botox units given into my tibialis (admittedly, I had no clue what the muscle he was injecting the Botox into was, I found the name on his notes and then Googled it -ha!) which is 40 units and then he injected 30 units of Botox into my medial and lateral left hamstring (2 injections of 30 units each). He didn't waste any Botox - haha! It comes in 100 units, and he used all of it. The injections into my tibialis hurt. I'm not going to lie. I feel like it hurt even worse than last time, but I could just not be remembering correctly. I could feel the Botox going in. I really wanted to jerk my leg out from under his grip, but I didn't. It really, really hurt. I didn't even notice until after I left the office, but Dr. T. gave me a Scooby Doo band-aid. This made me smile because one of my nieces LOVES Scooby Doo. So this is where the tibialis muscle is:
Then Dr. T. had me lie on my stomach while he injected it into my hamstring, and he made the comment that those injections didn't seem to bother me at all, and they didn't. It didn't hurt at all. Why the difference, I don't know.
Dr. T. mentioned physical therapy again. I point blank asked him if he wanted to me to do it and he point blank answered me "Yes". So, I'll do it, for him. :) I don't necessarily see the point if my muscles are strong, it's just my brain that isn't getting the signal to them to work, but I trust Dr. T. and he is the doctor (and I am not) - so I'll do it. This is nothing against physical therapists or physical therapy. At the very least, I'll build muscle, right?!
Dr. T. checked my deep brain stimulator and surprise, surprise - it's due for a new battery. I've had the DBS system for 7 years now and this will be the 4th battery. The battery is supposed to last 3-5 years (and in some cases up to 10 years!). So, this time he put the order in for a rechargeable battery to be implanted. I don't know why I seem to drain batteries faster than the average person, but I do, and he commented that I've had my fair share of surgeries to get them replaced (I have to go under general anesthesia every time), so he wants me to try a rechargeable battery this time. I'm not thrilled about that idea because that means I'll have to recharge it every week (basically, be hooked up to a wall socket until it charges), but it WILL be worth it if it makes the battery last more than 1.5-2 years which seems to be what it lasts for me. The last time I had battery replacement surgery was January 2021 (This time it did last a little longer!).
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| When my DBS remote says this, it's time for a battery change. |
As I said at the beginning of this post, he gave me "homework" to do:
1) I have to call him in a month to let him know if the Botox in my hamstring is working (or if it made things worse).
2) I have to set up/go to physical therapy.
3) I need to have the battery replaced in my DBS system.
I did ask him whether he thought the DBS was working. I felt like if he didn't think it was helping me anymore why should I have the surgery to replace the battery. But he assured me that he does think it's working and helping me. The Botox and the physical therapy are in addition. I also take medication. I do have a renewed optimism and hope that I will walk cane and walker free again one day soon. My next Botox injection has been set for July 12.
As always...God's Got This!
