Saturday Saunter~ Botox Werked 4 Me!

Yes, the title is misspelled on purpose. Sometimes you just have to be bad when you feels so good. And, I also know it's Saturday and not a regular post day for me, but I have to share.

For months, I have been suffering with increased tone and spasticity in the wrist and fingers not to mention other joints affected by my stroke similar to the picture, but imagine the the hand clenched in a tight fist with the thumb set at a ninety degree angle. That would be my hand, but the wrist is about right. The wrist wouldn't move past neutral into extension, and the fingers after thirty minutes work, would half way straighten.

Wrist splint

It was frustrating at best and painful work to get that accomplished. Even wearing my resting hand splint or my wrist splint was impossible. The spasticity was so bad that even wearing these splint became extremely painful after a few minutes, let alone the hours I was supposed to wear them.

Resting hand splint

My fingers would curl and my wrist would arch while in the devices. My body was fighting the rigid plastic and the steel. My thumb would even work its way past the padded restraints because, you didn't want to place the straps so tight that it would cut off blood circulation.

I'm supposed to where the resting hand splint while sleeping and inactive. The wrist splint takes the place of the resting hand splint for several hours a day. But, you can't wear it and move around. It weighs about five pounds. Imagine being on Lasix, a diuretic, for your heart and having this thing on, and not having the sensation of having to urinate unless you shift positions? Yeah, it's an off/on things rather quickly!

It looks like instruments of torture to nonstroke survivors, but for stroke survivors with high tone and spasticity they are a must do. See the silver on the sides of the wrist splint above? That's steel rods.

Standard pill bottle & large

About the best I could do was wrap my fingers around a large pill bottle most days. My neurologist told me to keep a rolled up washcloth in my hand, but the pill bottle was bigger. In this case, bigger is better.

I had Botox injections last week in my bicep, pectoral muscle, and for my wrist and hand in the forearm. A short painful necessity when tone and spasticity does not respond to any other treatment. All together 20 injection sites in one arm and under it in the chest wall. Two whole bottles at $365 each went into this area. Thank God for insurance!

Once again, we will makes the maximum out of pocket expense allowable for the year per our insurance plan by the end of January. We still have eleven months to go. It's sad when you think about it. It is such a joy getting older. Heavy sarcasm intended.

I awoke this morning and did my morning ritual, but something was different. My wrist was extending and the fingers except for the thumb was relaxed. No, not full extension, but I managed twenty degrees past neutral. It's a start. Even though the shots worked on my bicep and pectoral muscle last time, there was a niggling doubt whether it would work on my wrist and hand. It's all about hitting the right spot.

I'm doing the Snoopy dance of happiness right now. I worked the wrist and fingers stretching them out to find the limits so I'll know when there's more improvement. I think I over did it because the muscles are exhausted and have resume their previous state before the shots, but I did it! It werked!

I'm waiting on Monday and the doctor's office to open for an OT therapy order. Meanwhile, I'll wiggle my dance in my chair and stretch my shoulder and elbow. Happy, excited, and once again filled with hope at the possibilities.