Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Invisible Line

I'm still getting used to my healing body. Or rather, my brain.

There are things that still surprise me, especially with my sensation.

If I trace a line with my finger across my waist--or anywhere on my body--from left to right, my sensation is suddenly muted when I cross over the midpoint. For some reason, I always think that my sensation should fade slowly, the further I go to my right side. But instead it's like a switch with two settings. My left side is on the brighter setting. After I cross over my middle, the light is dimmer.

Slowly, over the course of months, maybe years, the light is getting brighter. But I don't know if the two lights will ever be equal.

3 comments:

  1. I know exactly the sensation, my better side left is much brighter or heavier, real feeling and the right is less and sometimes non-existing. When I had my stroke it was like drawing a line straight down me, head to toe. Some sensation has come back by it's still definitely night and day.

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  2. I always hope for brain-scan equipment to become much less invasive and troublesome someday, because wouldn't that be a cool thing to see happening on a scan?

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  3. I agree about the weird lopsided sensation it was very distinct at first. I'm getting close to 3 years post stroke now.

    I still feel some of a center line difference but mainly.. left side of nose, left side of lips feels very funny (feels really off when kissing) chin but not strong now for the forehead and cheeks. Outside of lower leg, arch and outside of foot, baby and ring finger and that side of the hand aren't right.

    What I am working on lately is separating feeling funny from function. (esp now that I am learning guitar and with PT about my walking gait.) Just cause it doesn't feel right doesn't necessarily mean it can't be made to work right.

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