Yes, I got Botox. But no, not as a beautifying treatment to get rid of wrinkles. :) I got Botox in my foot and calf. Now I have a young looking foot, right? LOL. No. It's amazing what they use Botox for these days: muscular disorders, excessive sweating, to treat chronic migraine headaches, etc. I got it to relax my toes on my right foot so they don't curl so tightly when I walk. They curl more when I'm nervous, and it makes it difficult to walk or stand with curled toes.
I got 2 injections in my calf and 2 in the bottom of my foot. There was no pain when injecting into my calf, but the bottom of my foot was very painful, and it wasn't a "quick shot" sort of pain. But once it was over with there was no pain. It took 3-4 days to notice a difference. My toes are definitely more relaxed. I can still curl them, but they no longer curl up when I walk. And it does make it easier to walk. I took Kiana to the doctor today for an ear infection and I barely needed her assistance in the parking lot, just a light touch, and inside I was walking on my own. While standing at the counter I was relaxed, my toes were relaxed, and I didn't feel off balance. It's supposed to last 3 months.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Strictly medical
Over a year ago, January 2015, I made up my mind that it was time to
really do something about my walking. It had gotten so bad that even at
home I felt off balance and like I was going to fall down. It had
started 5 years prior and was getting worse, and I was really getting
depressed about it. It was time I take action. (See previous blog
posts "dentist", "Walking" and "Fear of Concrete" for more.) I no longer had the balance or the confidence.
I started by seeing my primary care physician. I discussed with her how I thought part of it was mental and part was physical. She prescribed me an anti-anxiety medication and referred me to physical therapy. For 3 months I saw my physical therapist and religiously did my exercises daily. I felt myself getting stronger. But it didn't do the trick. So I asked my PCP to refer me to a doctor who specializes in cerebral palsy to find out if there were any new advancements in treating cerebral palsy. I mean, I hadn't seen a doctor regarding my c.p. since I was 19 years old. My doctor referred me to a Neurologist and a Physiatrist (rehab doctor).
Both doctors were very positive that I would walk again without assistance and presented me with different options, sure something would work for me. It was such a positive thing for me to hear. That I could get better. I started taking Baclofen, a muscle relaxant, commonly used for spasticity in cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis patients. It helped tremendously! I was walking with ease again at home. But it wasn't the cure, because I still had this mental portion of it that when out in public and in parking lots I still froze up. So I started seeing a mental health professional about the anxiety medication I was on, wanting to either adjust the dosage or try something different.
It's been over a year now and I've tried 3 different medications for anxiety. The upside to the anxiety meds is that they have helped with my OCD, other anxieties, and I am no longer depressed about my walking, but it has not quite helped with the anxiety/fear of concrete/anxiety of falling in public. So I have decided to go back to the Physiatrist to try Botox treatment to relax my muscles in my toes.
My doctor thinks I would greatly benefit from a Baclofen pump. It's much more effective than taking Baclofen orally, the dosage is significantly less, micrograms rather than milligrams, and you don't get the drowsiness side-affect. But the idea of having a pump the size of a hockey puck surgically implanted under my skin in my abdomen with a catheter running around to my spine to administer medication directly into my spinal fluid gives me the creeps. *shiver*
So, if the Botox does not work to where I am completely walking independently, then I have come to the realization that I am going to just have to suck up my pride and accept the fact that at 37 years old I may need to get myself a walker to use in certain situations. I am finally at peace with that idea.
I started by seeing my primary care physician. I discussed with her how I thought part of it was mental and part was physical. She prescribed me an anti-anxiety medication and referred me to physical therapy. For 3 months I saw my physical therapist and religiously did my exercises daily. I felt myself getting stronger. But it didn't do the trick. So I asked my PCP to refer me to a doctor who specializes in cerebral palsy to find out if there were any new advancements in treating cerebral palsy. I mean, I hadn't seen a doctor regarding my c.p. since I was 19 years old. My doctor referred me to a Neurologist and a Physiatrist (rehab doctor).
Both doctors were very positive that I would walk again without assistance and presented me with different options, sure something would work for me. It was such a positive thing for me to hear. That I could get better. I started taking Baclofen, a muscle relaxant, commonly used for spasticity in cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis patients. It helped tremendously! I was walking with ease again at home. But it wasn't the cure, because I still had this mental portion of it that when out in public and in parking lots I still froze up. So I started seeing a mental health professional about the anxiety medication I was on, wanting to either adjust the dosage or try something different.
It's been over a year now and I've tried 3 different medications for anxiety. The upside to the anxiety meds is that they have helped with my OCD, other anxieties, and I am no longer depressed about my walking, but it has not quite helped with the anxiety/fear of concrete/anxiety of falling in public. So I have decided to go back to the Physiatrist to try Botox treatment to relax my muscles in my toes.
My doctor thinks I would greatly benefit from a Baclofen pump. It's much more effective than taking Baclofen orally, the dosage is significantly less, micrograms rather than milligrams, and you don't get the drowsiness side-affect. But the idea of having a pump the size of a hockey puck surgically implanted under my skin in my abdomen with a catheter running around to my spine to administer medication directly into my spinal fluid gives me the creeps. *shiver*
So, if the Botox does not work to where I am completely walking independently, then I have come to the realization that I am going to just have to suck up my pride and accept the fact that at 37 years old I may need to get myself a walker to use in certain situations. I am finally at peace with that idea.
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