It’s not just for wrinkles

This week I am thrilled, practically bouncing off the walls at my doctors´office. “Christmas came early this year,” I joyfully exclaim to my doctor. “I’m getting my Botox injections!”

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For all the skeptics out there, let me explain. Every three months, I go see my doctor, a specialist in brain injury medicine, for injections that will temporarily relieve my muscle tone. The 800 units I get today (a hefty dose for sure), are spread out between various muscles in my neck, back, arm, wrist, hand, calf, and ankle. I get so many injections, you’d be hard pressed to find a muscle that DOESN’T receive the toxin. 😂

After I get all the shots (which can be a long process, sometimes up to two hours), it takes about a week for the medication to take effect and loosen my tight muscles. In the meantime, the only thing I have to show for an afternoon of needle injections is a series of nasty bruises on pretty much the entire left side of my body.

But when the medication takes effect a week later, it’s like magic (no joke). It is suddenly easier for me to open my hand and work on my exercises. I love getting Botox for this very reason, to provide me temporary relief from the tightness I feel constantly throughout my body.

Now that I’ve just received my injections, it’s time to commit to some serious work on my rehab. I have a three-month window to take advantage of my muscle looseness by strengthening that left side and rewiring my brain. Stroke recovery is a lifelong journey, but I am committed to the process and willing to constantly adapt to find new ways of accomplishing tasks. Onward!

Masked and mid-Botox injection at the doctors’. My doctor holding his copy of my most recent book about my recovery experience, Fast Fwd: The Fully Recovered Mindset.

To read more about my experience with recovery and how Botox has helped me, order a copy of my book Fast Fwd.