Last night, I was awake most of the night. My spasticity was bothering me. I felt very tight and stiff. Nights like these can feel endless. If I fall asleep, it doesn’t take long for pain to wake me up again.
I watched episodes of The Big Bang Theory and Forensic Files, trying to ignore the pain. There isn’t much I can do to relieve the pain. Distracting myself usually helps so that I am not as focused on the pain.
Chronic pain is part of life for many people. I never know how I will feel when I wake up. However, I have no choice but to function as best I can while being in pain.
Spasticity can cause difficulty with completing activities of daily living. For me, spasticity makes dressing, toileting, and showering difficult. The amount of spasticity I am experiencing can also change throughout the day. Factors such as the weather, my mood, and fatigue all affect my spasticity.
Cold temperatures make it difficult for me to move around. I don’t like to spend much time outside when it is cold. The same is true for the summer. Too much time outdoors in extreme temperatures can lead to increased pain.
When I went through a growth spurt as a teenager, chronic pain was suddenly much more prevalent in my daily life. During my senior year of high school, I had finished growing, but chronic pain was still there. In particular, I had severe pain in my hips, which made it hard to sit in my power wheelchair. The pain turned out to be from an overuse injury, and with some rest and some adjustments to my posture, I was much more comfortable.
Some days with cerebral palsy are harder than others. Pain is like an unwelcome guest who won’t leave. Coping with it is difficult, but I make it through every day.
I think you are amazing and so resilient, Grace.