Like a Chicken

I am so, so soooooooo sore today. Yesterday I went to the Rehab Centre (NOT the drug kind!) to discuss the next stage of the Baclofen Pump. Before the appointment I didn't have a clue what it would be about, as the letter wasn't very specific, so when I turned up and it was actually the pre-trial assessment I was pleased and surprised at the same time.

And then mortified.

You see, a lot of cripple consultant appointments involve inspections of the legs and the muscles, which means that they kind of need to get passed inconvenient things like Jean legs.

I had not shaved my legs.

You'd think by now I would be prepared for this kind of thing, and yeah, sometimes I have no shame and don't care, but this was not one of those days. "Oh no, I haven't shaved my legs!" says I, to which the Physiotherapist present replies "Don't worry, neither have I!"
Much comforted, the pre-assessment began. Basically, so during the trail they can tell how much the Baclofen is having effect, they need something to compare it to, so they have to measure muscle tone and spasticity, and how flexible my limbs are.

This means stretching my legs in a wide variety of lovely ways. Think like when you get a chicken and pull it's legs apart to stuff it. Except the chicken is me, and the stuffer three people holding my legs down.



Anyways, after this lovely experience they went through what the aims of the Baclofen therapy, with three aims. As well as this I am being put forward for electric shock treatment, where they sent electric shocks through your limbs in the hopes of lifting the foot up more. I last had thus done years ago when I was 16, and apparently it has improved since then!

To round up this post, the next thing I should hear is when the date of the actual trial is, which depends when the Neurosurgeon is free, so when I know I will post it here.