Sticking My Neck Out

Hello there. This is the launch of my new blog (title) about the journey I’m on with my recent diagnosis of cervical dystonia.

Wait… What? Well, after months of gradually increasing neck pain and several weeks of some bizarre symptoms that left me with a head tilt reminiscent of Stephen Hawking, I finally got an answer from a neurologist about what was going on with me. 

You see… My darn neck has decided to have a mind of its own and is no longer cooperating with the rest of my body. When I’m typing, my head swings up and to the left nearly 90 degrees. Same thing happens when I bowl. Blow drying my hair is a bitch! Even while walking, it can feel like a rope is pulling my head sideways. ...Unless I'm listening to music, and then I walk without symptoms. This is weird shi*!

I’m not sure where this journey is exactly taking me. But, I’m going to chronicle it for myself, for others like me, and for any of you who want a little, quirky humor about a really strange neurologic condition.

So, what is dystonia? No, it’s not an Eastern European country. And Jerry Lewis didn’t throw star-studded telethons for it in the 70s. That was muscular dystrophy—for the record. 

Dystonia is a movement disorder, related to Parkinson’s  that causes sustained, involuntary muscle contractions that cause body parts to twist, spasm, twitch, and cramp. It can affect many parts of the body. Eyelids, hands, feet, and even your vocal cords (think Robert F. Kennedy's quivery voice). In my case, dystonia has hit my neck.

There’s good news and bad news about this. The good news. Dystonia doesn’t shorten someone’s life, and there are treatments for it. The bad news. From all that I’ve learned so far, there is no cure. In other words, I better get used to this. Song of the Day: Twist and Shout, The Beatles