James’ News & Progress – 15 December 2009
After a couple of months off, it was time to go back to the hand specialist to assess whether another dose of Botox in my wrists would enable any further functionality. Following a thorough assessment by my charismatic Swiss specialist, we agreed that injecting into the muscles which allow you to bend your hand towards your body could potentially weaken the minimal movement that I already have. In addition, in her opinion, the opposing movement of extending the hand up was close to full range, albeit quite a struggle to achieve. Therefore I was given the all-clear.
Unfortunately, although upper limbs are ok, on Wednesday three muscles in my right calf were injected with large doses of Botox, which aims to combat the challenges I am currently facing in this leg. More specifically, at the moment my right leg tends to invert slightly (I balance on the outside of my foot) and as explained last week, it is difficult to fully place my heel on the ground. It is too early to assess the benefits as Botox takes up to two weeks to take effect… as I’m sure some of you out there know 😉
On another exciting note, I have managed to procure my own set of Bioness (electrical stimulators aimed at wrists and fingers), which I will be using for up to two hours a day. The aim is to use them for functional grasp and relief tasks to promote neuropathic recovery and strength. Initial thoughts are that these will be enormously helpful in improving hand function.
Lastly but surely not least, my wonderful girlfriend returned this week after almost two months away. Hopefully, she can see some improvement! In addition, my cute little godson, James Junior, also made his inaugural visit to Australia from the UK. Early indications are, this kid could be a handful!