Sunday Stroke Survival: The Wait is Almost Over

After almost eighteen months of chasing the possibility of stopping the progression and pain of my post stroke spasticity, the wait is almost over. YIPEE, YEAH,and doing the Snoopy dance of happiness. Two days and counting until my final consult with the neurosurgeon before scheduling my cervical selective rhizotomy.

This surgery is relatively new (less than a decade old) while the SDR (selective dorsal rhizotomy) is several decades old. There are about a handful of surgeons in the US that can/have perform this surgery. I feel very fortunate that I live so close to Atlanta now to be able to go to all these hoops I've had to jump through.

The Modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale rates my spasticity as a Grade 4 out of 4. "Affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension." This is true 24/7. The only time I can move my arm, wrist, and fingers is with half a hour of rather intensive physical therapy. The therapist strips the muscles, dry needles, and uses manual manipulation to get my arm to even budge even two or three degrees. It will take another half an hour of work to extend my arm an additional seventy-five degrees. The therapists actually tell me they are sore the day after working on me. I can believe it. They are practically standing on their heads trying to get my arm to seventy-eight degrees of extension and that's just the arm. Straightening the wrist and/or hand to extension will take another thirty minutes of work to get them just short of mid line (straight).

Of all the studies I've read through, the results have been remarkable. Grade 4s have dropped 2-3 grades! At a Grade two, "More marked increase in muscle through most of the range of motion, but affected part(s) easily move" would be a blessing! I could work hard to backtrack to Grade 1. To drop another grade to Grade 1  with surgery, would be an immense blessing. I would still fight to reach Grade 0- no spasticity and recover what I lost with my strokes again. My Snoopy dance of happiness, would turn into a dance of praise to my Father in heaven.

So, I'm counting the days and soon the hours...

Nothing is impossible.