Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Squeak, Crackle, POP!


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.

Most often I experience the squeaking and crackling while lying in bed, and the big POPs while being stretched during therapy sessions. The summer heat is good for muscles and my team is working hard to break my remaining spasms by the end of this August – two years, five months post-stroke.

11 comments:

  1. For about a month I have been feeling the two bones in my forearm click as they roll over each other when I rotate my forearm. I consider it to be progress too.

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    1. did you regain the use of your affected hand? how long did it take for you to feel like the tendons were lengthening again?

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    2. The tendons in my extremities (fingers, toes, foot and lower arm) started to pop consistently and at a deep level within the last few months. I wrote this three years ago and have continued weekly massage and physical therapy 3x/week since then. This is a LONG, SLOW process. As of now, I have minimal use of my affected hand, but my fingers have loosened quite a bit.

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    3. I am planning tendon release surgery on my pinkie finger and the one next to it on one hand. It has been 3 years of therapy, Botox, acupuncture and they just stay contracted. Any ideas on that?

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    4. I don't have any experience with surgery. I would just make sure to have a thorough discussion with doctors ahead of time so that I had knowledge of the risks, reasonable expectations of the results, and an understanding of what stretching & exercises would be required post-surgery. Good luck!

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  2. Hi Marce
    I'm glad the summer sun is working its magic on you and looking forward to seeing you!
    love joe x

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  3. Your ice floe analogy is great! Keep up the great work...it sounds like you're making excellent progress. :)

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  4. I also love the metaphor of thawing. I've been having a lot of thawing, too. No squeaking or crackling, though. It sounds like a good book idea: Stroke Survivors Talk About What Healing Feels Like

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  5. This is beautifully written Marcelle. It's always good to see you, you look great, and your progress is visible. Sending love and a hug!

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  6. Thank you for the blog, I had a massive stroke some 20 years ago when I was 17. After recovery seamed to grind to a halt I went on to form some semblance of a 'normal' life although I was still a hemiplegic for the most part. Fast foward to today I am back on the diet and exercise kick with 'therapy' type exercise days along with strength days for my stronger side. I have lately been experiencing these snap, crackle, pops which have filled me with a great bit of anxiety (landing me in the hospital a few times because of an anxiety attack) . It's comforting to read that this could be more recovery, rather than all the doom and gloom that comes with a internet aliment search.

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    1. Good to read about your experience. Recently, the muscles in my chest have started to open and release. It was painful and I worried I was having a heart attack. I went to the ER just to be safe. Now I recognize the feeling of muscles that have been cramped for so long and the inevitable aches and nerve jolts that accompany reawakening.

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