In my last couple posts, I've written about post-stroke spasms and spasticity, and about the treatments my A-team and I are using to overcome them. So much of my recovery has been filled with the anxiety of not knowing how much I'll improve, when I'm going to improve, or how I know if I’m improving. I hope this description of my healing sensations gives other survivors assurance or a target to aim for.
I am an ice floe heading
into the spring break-up. Muscles frozen for close to two years have started to
crack and move. Much like the ice, my thaw starts in each muscle with a subtle
squeaking so quiet it's hard to distinguish whether I'm hearing or feeling it.
The muscle layers begin to separate; blood
works its way into the fissures, bringing warmth and nutrients. Crackling
begins as nerves start to fire. Crackling goes on for weeks until finally, the
muscle melts enough for the underlying tendon to extend with a pronounced POP!
The sensations start in the big muscles and, for the most
part, work their way downward. I experience the squeaking first in my bicep,
then in my pecs. Crackling spreads through my forearm, wrist, palm and fingers.
Everything loosens. My leg follows a similar pattern, starting in the big
muscle of my calf and moving to the many tendons of my foot, ankle and toes.
