DEAR reader,
WHAT follows is a 8 weeks follow-up of my 2nd side Pallidotomy. I
apolgize for the size of the type and the structure but I was fiddling with
a report format since this document went to my personal Neurologist.
WHAT'S IMPROVED
I'M HAVING NO SERIOUS OFF TIMES DURING THE DAY.THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS OR
DRUG SIDE-EFFECTS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO DISABLE ME ALTHOUGH THERE IS IN EACH
DAY A TIME TO REST.
I NO LONGER HAVE THE SEVERE DYSTONIA IN MY RIGHT FOOT AND ANKLE.
THERE IS NO LONGER ANY RESTING TREMOR ON MY RIGHT SIDE....UPPER AND LOWER
TORSO..
WALKING IS FUN AGAIN. MY HIP AND BUTTOCK MUSCLES HAVE MOVEMENT IN THEM I
ACTUALLY HAVE A BIT OF A SWISH TO MY WALK. SINCE I'VE NOT USED THESE
MUSCLES THEY LACK THE STRENGTH TO CARRY ME ANY GREAT DISTANCE BUT IF I CAN
GET A MILE OR SO IN EACH DAY I'M HAPPY.
I'M ABLE TO FUNCTION FROM THE MOMENT I AWAKE IN THE AM [I NOW GET ABOUT
6-8 A NIGHT OF SLEEP . NO MORE 3 AM AWAKENINGS].I SPRING[WOULD YOU BELIEVE
CRAWL?] FROM BED, GET DRESSED , HAVE BREAKFAST , READ THE PAPER, KICK THE
CAT ETC BEFORE MY MEDS KICK IN.
WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD.
I'M HAVING SOME PROBLEMS WITH MY SPEECH BOTH WITH VOLUMN AND
ARTICULATION. THIS IS ONE OF A SERIES OF MOUTH /NECK/THROAT PROBLEMS SOME
OF WHICH EXISTED BEFORE THE SURGERY[ DENOTED BY THE LETTERS "BS"] AND
AFTER SURGERY WHETHER IT EXACERBATED OR CAUSED THE SYMPTOM[ DENOTED BY
THE LETTERS "AS"]
* ARTICULATION MAINLY "AS" BUT WITH SOME "BS"
* VOLUMN MAINLY "BS" BUT WITH SOME "AS"
* TROUBLE SWOLLING PILLS BUT NOT WITH FOOD. CLEARLY "AS"
* TROUBLE CLEARING MY THROAT. CLEARLY "AS"
* RESUMPTION OF MY CHRONIC COUGH AND HEART-BURN. CLEARLY
"AS".
* TROUBLE OPENING MY EYES ESPECIALLY IN EARLY AM AND LATE PM
CLEARLY "AS"
* RUNNY NOSE "AS"
* SOMETIMES MY FOREHEAD FREZZES WHEN I FROWN. "AS"
* AND I STILL HAVE MY LEFT SIDE PROBLEMS WHICH NOW ISOLATED
SEEM TO EMERGE AS BIGGER BEASTS WHO WANT TO MESS WITH MY MIND AND BODY
WITH THE DISAPPEARENCE OF MY RIGHT SIDE RESTING TREMOR MY FAMILIAL
TREMOR IS MORE PRESENT. MY WRITING CLEARLY HAS GONE DOWN HILL "AS" AND "BS"
IN EQUAL PARTS.
MY LEFT ARM IS INVOLUNTARILY ROTATING INWARD SUDDENLY. STARTED ABOUT
A YEAR AGO WHEM IT OCCURRED WHEN I PICKED UP A HEAVY OBJECT FROM OVER MY
HEAD. NOW IT HAS ADVANCED TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN BE CARRYING SOME LIGHT
OBJECT AND MY ARM TREMORS AND ROTATES INWARDLY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE
WHEN I'M CARRYING SOME THING HEAVY IN MY RIGHT ARM. TODAY IT OCCURRED WHEN
I WAS LIFTING A HEAVY DISH AND WHEN I WAS REMOVING A LIGHT PIE FROM THE
OVEN. MY LEFT HAND AND ARM BEGIN TO TREMOR AND THE WHOLE ARM ROTATES
INWARDLY ."BS" AND "AS" THIS IS MY MOST PRESSING PROBLEM
ALL IN ALL
THE DECISION TO DO THE 2ND SIDE WAS A WISE ONE. I STILL HAVE SERIOUS
PROBLEMS AND I CAN'T SEE MY SELF GOING BACK TO WORK AT THIS TIME BUT WE ARE
ON THE RIGHT TRAIL.
I ASKED DR COSGROVE MY NEUROSURGEON] IF HE WOULD ALLOW ME TO STAND
IN DURING ONE OF HIS PALLIDOTOMIES AND HE INITIALLY SAID THERE WERE TOO
MANY REASONS NOT TO ALLOW SUCH BUT AS WE TALKED HE SEEMED TO SOFTEN A BIT.
I THINK HE WILL WELCOME ME SOONER THAN HE THINKS. I WOULD MAKE A FINE
PATIENT ADVOCATE
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