Day 22 - Dystonia and Pain

I am very, very blessed because when it comes to pain and dystonia, mine is very minimal compared to what I've heard others talk about. Pain with dystonia comes in different forms (at least for me!). There are at least three kinds that I've experienced and I thought I'd blog about that tonight. It doesn't mean everyone with dystonia has this same kind of pain and it doesn't mean others with dystonia don't have a lot more pain than I'll describe. This is just in relationship to me. :)

There is pain that comes from the twisting motions dystonia conducts on the body. Once again, I am forever thankful that I don't have the sort of twisting and contorted limbs that I have seen when I Google dystonia. If I'm ever having a bad day, all I have to do is look to the Internet to get me out of my funk because some of the pictures and videos I've seen are horrific and I can only begin to imagine the sort of pain those people are in. I am blessed that medication seems to keep my spasms and contortions to a minimum. I can tell when the medication is starting to wear off though, because that's when the spasms start up and the twitching and twisting get worse. It's definitely no walk in the park and I have the utmost compassion for people who experience this much worse than I do.

There is also pain that comes from falling. I fall a lot as I eluded to in a previous post. I get scraped, bloodied and bruised so much that now I have permanent bruises on my knees. I've thought about buying stock in Band-Aid. :) Not only do I fall, but I trip all the time as well. I also end up getting sore. That usually comes the day after I've fallen. Even though my falls include bloody knees or elbows, I am blessed that to date, I've not broken any bones or done anything that couldn't be fixed with a wet washcloth and Band-Aids. Hey, I have to find the silver lining somewhere!

And finally, there is emotional pain. I think this is the pain that I suffer from most of all! If you haven't gathered yet from reading earlier posts, I'm kind of sensitive. :) Believe me, I've tried telling myself to be less sensitive, to not cry, to not get my feelings hurt, to not be embarrassed and yes, sometimes it works, but only sometimes! Most of the times I am too sensitive, I do cry, I do get my feelings hurt and I do get embarrassed. I guess that's just life! I deal with it the best I can.

Pain is pain and sometimes there is nothing anyone can do about it. Pain is part of being human. Pain will always be there. But as sure as pain is, comfort is just as sure. There might not be a soul on earth you can take away every pain, but there sure is a GOD above who does. He's the only source of comfort that is truly effective and He's the only one that can truly wipe every tear and pain away. So, I put my faith in Him. I'm not perfect with this and sometimes the tears, the embarrassment and the pain are overwhelming, but He is ALWAYS there and ALWAYS faithful.