Pain Potion No. 9

The majority of my stories, up to this point, have been mostly rooted in the past. That makes them in one sense, easier to talk about, and harder to talk about. The story I'm about to tell you, is rooted very much in the now. It's about Cerebral Palsy and pain management.


How it started – apart from post surgery pain, I hadn't had much of any pain from my Cerebral Palsy at all. A lot of the time, I'd get asked if I was in pain because it looked like I might be. But I really didn't have much pain or any from the CP. I had your average workout pains, soreness from a hard day of PT, or a strain here and there. But no regular pain specifically from the CP. 


Where it went – My relatively physiologically pain-free existence continued for a very long time. I really only started to have pain once I reached my thirties. And even then, it would kind of come and go. It was only about 2 or 3 years ago that I started to notice it wasn't going away anymore. It sits like a dull hum in the background. Everything is tight. Everything aches. Some things that never hurt, hurt all the time now. 


How it's going – In the last decade, I've seen the most consistent, ongoing pain that I've ever had. I developed carpal tunnel and had surgery to improve that, but that pain remains to this day. At any given moment, I can feel at least four or five parts of my body, if not, everything, that ache, are sore, are tight, and at a dull humming pain. 


Everyday, I feel pain from my right hand all the way up to my right shoulder. Most of that's from the carpal tunnel. But, it sits at a four or five on a ten scale. My hamstrings are so tight that my body stops a stretch before I feel like it's too much. My hips are so tight that it doesn't matter what I'm doing, I feel them hurting. My pain baseline is a 4 out of 10 on a 10 scale. 


About a year ago, my neurologist suggested I try Botox for the pain. For various reasons, that never materialized. This year, they suggested I try a muscle relaxer. At this point, you've probably read enough of my stories to know I was raising an eyebrow about that. Thanks to my mom, I don't exactly have the brightest picture of how muscle relaxers affect a human being. Nevertheless, I've gotten a second and third opinion, and consulted trusted advice, and consulted the CP community on this treatment. With considerable reservation, I'm going to try this treatment and hope that it makes a difference. 


In the stories to come, I'll talk about specific surgeries in more detail, recovery processes, injuries, activities I modify, and activities I avoid. If there's something you're curious about, drop it in the comments. Stay tuned. 

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