Thursday, April 14, 2011

I Feel the Earth...Move...

Today was one of "those" days - when it seems as though someone might be sticking a probe in random areas of my brain and saying "Watch what happens when I do this!"  It was a very active day for what my neurologist calls "paresthesias", odd sensory disruptions that include tingling sensations and numbness, feelings of vibrations and/or electrical sensations in one or more body parts or my entire body, reduced sensation or heightened sensation.

At times, walking was difficult due to the intermittent numbness of the front part of my right foot combined with the sensation that I was stepping on golf balls.  Because of tingling and incoordination, I couldn't get my thumb and fingers working well enough to  pick up the dime and nickel to use for the parking meter.  Talking on the telephone was a problem because I was getting a shrill sound coming and going in my left ear and then my hearing would be diminished for several minutes at a time.

Sometimes the vibrations were so noticeable that I watched to see if other folks would say anything because I was sure we must be having an earthquake!  While sitting in a chair it felt as if the floor were vibrating beneath my feet and I could feel the sensation go through my body.  I was certain that everyone else had to be experiencing it too.

While preparing for bed, I was standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth.  Suddenly I felt the familiar rush of fatigue and weakness wash over me and it felt as if my entire body, to the core, had turned to Jell-O.  I've learned that it can happen at anytime, regardless of my level of activity, and there is nothing I can do to pr event it, fight it, or stop it.  I must lie down and do nothing...and so...I am.....

( © Post by CJ Taylor - please do not copy.  Photo from NASA)