You may be wondering what the big deal is, so I will explain. I have not been able to move my toes at all for almost three years. They were the first part of my body to be paralyzed and the last to come back. In fact, I really never expected them to come back. My neurologist told me that if something remains paralyzed for two years it is highly unlikely that it will come back at all. For this reason I will not likely be able to dorsiflex (point my feet upwards) and, I thought, wiggle my toes. Being the stubborn person that I am, I still try to achieve both of these movements every day. So imagine my surprise when I noticed my toes! I don't really know what this means functionally. I'm certainly not going to be able to ditch my AFOs and walk barefoot through the sand anytime soon. But, it does mean that my nerves are still healing and making new connections, which is very encouraging.
I made a little video of it because I'm a big nerd and also because I want evidence in case I am unable to repeat my performance for my neurologist/physiotherapist/occupational therapist (the people who have every right to demand proof). And seeing as I'm in a sharing mood, I will post it here for all to see. I call it "Jerky Left Toe with Mole on Sheet with Dog Hair". I can actually move my other toes too but not as noticeably.
I have a theory (possibly complete bollocks) about why this is happening now. When I last saw my neurologist he told me to start standing on my bare feet in the bars at physiotherapy. This struck me as odd as he previously told me to never, ever stand without AFOs. But I guess I'm getting stronger so it is time. He doesn't want me walking or anything - the idea is to get my feet used to the feel of the ground again and to improve my proprioception (balance). Being the good patient that I am, I've been working on this for the past four weeks or so. I stand on a towel (not putting my bare feet on the hospital floor, thank you very much) and try to put as much weight through my feet and legs as possible. I can't stand this way without holding on to anything but I am getting more stable. Anyway, one of the side effects is that my feet become incredibly tingly and buzzy (technical term). I think it's possible that all this standing has stimulated the nerve endings in a new way.
I hope that this is not the end of my improvements (come on dorsiflexion) but only time will tell. It has certainly lifted my spirits and rekindled my drive to continue pushing for improvements and new milestones. Watch out for future greatness! :)
Ciao for now.
