“It was brought to my attention that I might’ve had a bad attitude about trying a brace last time,” I told the physical therapist as we discussed my leg this afternoon.
Laughing, she asked “In whose opinion?”
The answer, as you may have guessed, was Crankenstein.
“It’s often the spouse,” the PT cheerfully replied, before I tested a couple braces by walking around the gym as she trailed and observed.
She sent me home with the one she thought worked best, with instructions to try it for the next few weeks. “We aren’t supposed to do this,” she said of the loaner arrangement, waving her hand dismissively. “But most insurance plans will only cover one brace every five years, so it’s important to get it right.” Next, we strategized about how to time my medication and daily walks to give the brace a better shot at success.
Her concern is that dystonia — which causes my foot to drag and drop in the first place — might render the brace useless by turning my foot inward. My options at that point would be to visit what the PT called O&P (according to Google, that stands for Orthotics & Prosthetics) and be evaluated for a more customized brace, or I could possibly try Botox injections in my foot.
The PT wasn’t keen on the latter idea since Botox weakens muscles, while I’m not fond of it because quarterly injections in the neck and surrounding areas are enough.* There are too many parts of my body, including my face, that are subject to dystonia; if we treat ’em all with Botox, I’ll look like a Great Value version of a ‘Real Housewife’ in no time.
* The neurologist’s opinion is the one I trust the most; I’ll discuss this with her next week.