Tag: pain

Posted in October

Dystonia Alien Plays Games

Posted on by dystoniaandme

Tonight the dystonia alien decided to show me what else it could do with my hand. Normally when my spasms last for a long period of time we end up trying to force them to release. However this particular spasm seemed to be determined to stay for as long as it wanted. Every-time we thought we had managed to release it, it decided to return. In the end we gave up, and decided to let the dystonia alien have its fun. The theory was that if we let it run its course, then perhaps the time in-between the spasm finishing and then returning would be longer. As I am writing this, it is still in spasm. If the muscles and tendons in my hand had the ability to scream, right now they would be.

The image shows the Dystonia aliens latest spasm game…

Posted in October

Counting my lucky stars

Posted on by dystoniaandme

This last week, has for me, been full of thoughts to chew on. This week, there has been many programmes on for Stand up to Cancer, all of them heart wrenching yet inspirational.These people have to live with a disease that may or may not kill them, their life is a huge unknown. Yet despite having this devastating illness, having to go through emotionally and physically painful treatment, and so much more, they hold their heads high and they try to live their lives to the fullest. They are truly inspirational.

This weekend particularly, I have thought about them. How much they have to cope with, the pain they must deal with. Over this weekend both my facial and foot spasms have played up. They have been both painful and debilitating. Yet I know that none of the games the dystonia alien plays will cause me any long-lasting harm. They are simply irritating and painful. A nuisance, that I must and will learn to put up with.

I have to count my lucky stars and be thankful. I may have a disease that is currently incurable, that causes pain, embarrassment and is debilitating, but with the right treatment my symptoms could be dramatically improved. My illness will not kill me. It has changed the path I was on but it will make me stronger for it. I have to be thankful for the disease I have. My life could be so much worse.

Posted in Archive, October

Last nights Dystonia antics

Posted on by dystoniaandme

I have never been a flexible person. The only part of my body that is flexible is my arms and wrists. However last night the little dystonia alien decided to show me just what it could make my body do. For a few hours before my dinner, my leg had been playing up a bit, my foot was bent and was dragging behind me. However during dinner it seemed to calm down and I relaxed. When I tried to get up from the table and hop to the living room, with my mum helping me, the dystonia alien decided to wake up. Before I could brace myself, my leg went into a spasm, sliding itself backwards. My stepbrother fetched a chair for me to sit on, so that I didn’t fall down. Yet my leg kept going backwards. Within minutes I had no choice, I had to either try to slide myself off the chair and onto the floor or have the spasm cause me to fall onto the floor. By the time I was on the floor, I was literally doing the splits. Despite being in agony, I had to laugh, I am not flexible, yet here I was on the floor in spasm doing the splits.

Eventually the spasm eased off and with the help of my Grandmother and my Mum, I got up off the dining room floor, and tried to hobble through to the living room. However the dystonia alien had not finished playing games. My right leg and foot shot behind my left leg. To those around me, it must have looked like I was curtsying. Yet again I ended up on the dining room, the spasm had pulled my leg as far as it could go. Again I ended up laughing. I am not sure whether I laughed because of the situation or if I laughed in exasperation, perhaps it was a bit of both. It took a fair length of time for the spasm to ease off.

I still cannot get over how far my dystonia pulled my leg and foot last night! The spasms in my leg and foot have always been pretty extreme and odd to look at, but last night was ridiculous. I now wish I had gotten someone to take a picture/video the spasm so I could show the specialist, I shall remember to ask someone to do so next time. Despite last nights spasms being so extreme, I feel rather positive today! I surprised myself at how well I coped with the pain of the spasms last night, especially with them being so extreme. I feel that with each spasm the dystonia alien throws at me, I gain more confidence, as I know that I can deal with my spasms fairly well.

Posted in September

The battle for my leg

Posted on by dystoniaandme

Yesterday the little dystonia alien decided it was bored of manipulating my face, arm and hand. It decided it needed yet another toy. It chose my leg! For a long time now my leg has not been completely normal, every now and then it would over bend or I would get odd sensations running up and down it. I choose to ignore these niggles and put it down to issues I had had previously with my leg. However the last 4 or 5 days these niggles had got more frequent and were more noticeable, I decided that now was the time to speak up and express my concerns. So off we went to the doctors and yet another medicine was added to my cocktail of drugs, in attempt to try and lessen the dystonia aliens effects.

Yesterday the alien decided to up its game again. Instead of causing the usual niggles, it decided to cause a painful spasm that twisted my foot inwards and curled my toes up, then it decided to shake violently. The alien decided to do this each time I attempted to walk. In the end I could just about walk on the tips of my toes, however sometimes this set the alien off as well. So I spent the day hopping around, trying to get on with the day as usual and attempting to distract my self. However when I got up to try and walk today, I decided to try and walk normally, hoping that the spasm would not return. But after taking two steps the alien decided to play games, the spasms once again twisted my foot inwards at a bent angle and curled my toes up before shaking violently.

Due to the little dystonia alien also affecting my right arm and hand, I cannot even walk with a crutch, as holding a crutch would set off the spasm in that hand and arm. Therefore I have had to resort to using a wheelchair for getting out and about. Its not a ideal option but for the time being its a realistic one. I went out shopping with my parents to get a few bits today in my wheelchair. At first I was bit anxious, I knew that now more than ever I would be stared at. However once again I found that the stares just reassured me that I could do this, that I didn’t mind. After all, if it was the other way round I would most likely also be just as rude and look.

I feel so thankful for the support and love I get from my family and friends. Without them it would  be a much harder battle with dystonia. With their love, help and support, I am able to get on with daily life and be happy. I know that no matter how hard things get, they will always be there for me. I am so thankful for them!

Posted in September

Laughter is the best medicine!

Posted on by dystoniaandme

Having Dystonia means that no day will be the same as any other. Some days may be a good day and others are not so good. This is a fact I have readily accepted. However what I was not prepared for was the spasms that would give everyone around me a shock yet provide amusement simultaneously.

The other day I went to put a knife away and all of a sudden the little dystonia alien decided to act up. Before anyone could help me, the spasm had caused the knife to be flung out of hand, clattering on the ground at the other side of the room. This incident could be one to fear, knife throwing after all is rather dangerous, however all of us could not help ourselves, we all burst into laughter. It was such a random and sudden incident that was shocking yet amusing. Then the next day when my body decided to spasm I sent a plastic cup full of juice flying across the room, making a mess of myself and the floor, but again none of us could help ourselves we had to laugh.

The way I see it is that you have to very clear cut options with dystonia, you can either be angry and become reclusive and isolate yourself so as to avoid potentially embarrassing situations or you can accept that this is what your body is doing, accept the fact you will have good and bad days, yet be able to laugh at the situation, find the positive side to life. After all it is widely known that laughter is the best medicine.

Posted in September

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional

Posted on by dystoniaandme

My quote of the day has to be ‘Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional’.  I find this quote rather fitting. Having dystonia means that every day and every night in full of pain, some days worse than others. However just because I am in pain does not mean I should stop and give up. If anything I embrace the pain, I accept that it is part of me but it does not define me.

Dystonia makes many daily activities like cooking, washing my hair, going for a walk etc. rather hard, but that is no excuse for me to lie in bed all day feeling sorry for myself. Instead it inspires me to get up and go, to think what can I do and then go and do it. I love horse riding, its going to be difficult to do, but I am not going to let pain stop me from giving it a go!

Dystonia causes a hell of a lot of pain. I am going to achieve everyone of my goals despite it!

Posted in September

Another fierce battle for control

Posted on by dystoniaandme

Today i decided to attempt the dangerous  task of straightening my hair. A task that to most is rather simple and requires very little brain power. For me it involved a fierce battle between myself and the alien, both of us fighting for control of my face, right arm and hand.

Have you ever tried straightening your hair, whilst your arm and the hand that you would normally use is stuck in a painful spasm behind your head? For those of you who are fortunate enough not to have experienced this, i can assure you it is not an easy task. After a long twenty minutes I gave in to the little alien, feeling rather proud of myself. My hair was not great but I had made a darn good attempt. A small win over the alien.

So far the alien is winning the majority of our frequent battle, but I am slowly catching up.