2/14/2022

I’m getting Botox today and it’s not for cosmetic reasons. Botox for stroke: For those with spasticity, the Botox injections allow the nervous system to grow new muscle nerves. For patients who receive Botox as a spasticity treatment, Botox helps minimize the tightening of the muscles and helps produce normal nerve communication as a result.

I’ve been nervous for the past few weeks since I was approved after my initial evaluation on February 1st. My understanding is Botox will be injected in the areas that are too dominant and firing all the time. As an example, to extend your arm, your tricep muscle is the muscle that works but in my case, my bicep muscle is extremely strong and is overpowering my tricep not allowing it to work properly. When this happens I cannot extend my arm. The thought is once Botox is injected in my bicep, it will help relax the muscle so I can work on strengthening my tricep so it can preform as it normally would. That is just one example, my fingers are actually very tight. But we don’t inject in the fingers, it’s actually the flexors to help allow the fingers to extend. Botox is just one means of spasticity relief. There are others, such as, baclofen and the pump. I’m already taking baclofen several times a day and increasing my dosage would just make me groggy. Baclofen pills work well but another downside was it doesn’t target the muscle you want or need it to go to. Now the pump does but the pump was a little too invasive for me. It injects baclofen directly to the muscles when you press the pump but having something connected to my spinal cord was a little to scary for my comfort.

As I’m sitting in the waiting area, I pray. I’m scared. I’m scared this could be my own chance of getting better and what if it fails. Here we go again, my mind is racing.

GOD’S PROTECTION
God, when I am afraid, I will
put my trust in You. I know
that when You are for me,
nothing can stand against
me! Right now, I surrender
my fears to You. Please take
my concerns, shame, and
problems, and replace them
with Your peace and truth.
Protect my mind as I
continue to draw close to
You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer

They call me back to the room and my doctor comes in shortly after. I see the vial and the needles all lined up and ready to go. Now I’m afraid of how painful this could be. I have several tattoos but this was a different type of fear / pain. Dr. D explains where he will inject and informs me I will see the best results in about 6 weeks and he will see me at that time to reassess next steps. He proceeds to ask my husband to help get me situated with my left arm on the table, forearm, belly side up. My husband is holding my left hand to help keep it down.

• The first injection of 40cc goes in my left pectoral muscle
• The 2nd injection of 50cc goes in one side of my left bicep
• The 3rd injection of 50cc goes in the other side of my left bicep
• He divides the last injection of 60cc into my top flexor muscle and the deeper flexor muscle, (30cc each)

And we’re done, I survived. Just a tiny droplet of blood spilled on the paper sheet on the table. Dr. D says, “You are fine to resume your activities, ice it if there are any redness and call if there are any issues. Otherwise I’ll see you in 6 weeks. You did good.”