Possessed by an electric eel

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This morning, around 6 am as I was lying in the twilight zone, half awake, half asleep, I suddenly felt a wave of electricity envelope my body, and home in on my glute where it settled. I was shocked and astonished to witness this assault. Then, not more than a second later, I felt another shock wave approach. It enveloped my body, and settled in the same area. It felt like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. I did not work out what was going on, but it happened a 3rd and a final 4th time. From the first wave, I tried to resist it, wriggle my way out of it, I suppose like an eel. I suddenly worked out what had been going on as soon as the 4th wave completed. It was locked-glute day! That was the locking event from start to finish. One minute to 6 I was free as a bird, and 1 minute past 6 I was locked up (or my glute was). Those who know me know that I have one good / unlocked day, and one bad or locked day… as regular as clockwork for the last 7 months. I feel I have caught the tail end of the locking process before, in the early hours of the morning, but never had I witnessed a full on assault from beginning to end so lucidly.

Coincidentally, I recently, I worked something else out : What triggers the end of locked-glute day? Answer, my Chinese dr. who does acupuncture on me around 6pm. He must have initiated the process. He has the ability to unlock or, at least, partially unlock a muscle, switching it off, and decreasing the hyper-tone. So that, plus tonic water at 6pm, (another trigger to start the unlocking process, and for quinine to do its magic) and just simply the winding down we all do towards evening is enough to start the unlocking phase between 6-8pm. Rewinding back a couple of months, it used to go on until midnight, easily. I’m happy to have shortened locked-glute day by 6 hours.

However, now that I have witnessed the locking process with my quasi-conscious mind, I am certain that my brain is closer to establishing control over that area. Right now those muscles connect primitively to my spine, from which they receive local commands. The brain is too weak to override that immediate link to the spine. However, I will soon be able to take charge of the area of muscles around my gluteus maximus with more precision and finesse.

I encourage all stroke warriors to research and learn about their condition. That knowledge enables one to fight more efficiently, and enjoy the recovery journey with more participation. Another reason is that with a mental image of what’s going on, we can visualize, stimulate and accelerate our own healing mechanism. It beats feeling sorry and defeated. Instead, the exhilaration of being able to actively mend ourselves and achieve progress puts us in a good mood, where we become proud of our efforts and happy with ourselves. We become true warriors. Good luck to all. Roland

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Amen to that

K :polar_bear: :wink:

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You are amazing, Roland. Your spirit and zest for higher energies brings me to tears.

May your healing journey be as deep as your soul.

When I do qigong tonight, I will remember you. I will envision you enveloped in radiant energies of the cosmos, the sun, the stars.

**Haola! ** All is well, getting better! (that goes for EVERYONE on here)

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Very gracious of you, Matthew,

I appreciate your kind words.
This is my bread and butter daily challenge
It’s fascinating too, so I might as well enjoy it.

Speak soon, thanks again, Roland

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@pando I had my stroke in June, but a couple of months before that at Easter I had an unresolved collapse which I now firmly believe was a TIA. My GP didn’t suggest it could be a TIA , he just did full blood tests and told me to carry on. I did this but had feelings of leg muscle weakness with pins and needles. I told my GP about that but he told me I just needed to exercise. One morning I awoke to a sudden terrible pain and locked-up feeling as you described and it was a couple of hours until it subsided. At the time I had no idea what was happening and my mind ran through all the possibilities, but of course I didn’t associate it with a TIA or my coming stroke. I think you may have explained it for me.

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This is a good example of how Mindfulness can help stroke survivors with managing sensations.

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Hi Strings,

I’ve been told my story of the electric eel is a bit too dramatic. I tell it how it was; It’s just a moment of my average day. I’m sure there are some elements that you identify with, but of course we know every stroke is unique. Anyway, I wish you good progress, thx for writing, ciao, Roland

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It’s not too dramatic - it’s your experience, and it’s beautiful.

Talk soon, Roland. Take care.

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It’s not that it’s too dramatic, its just too much for them to comprehend and accept, particularly if it’s nothing they can do anything about it for you. It’s just their way of coping with the information.

I understand it perfectly what you are describing. I’ve had similar experiences in the past, but for me it was my spin unlocking. And you are right, it’s like electric shock for me, traveling down my spine, radiating out everywhere. And it is very dramatic, it’s scary! Particularly when it happens at night and you’re basically on your own with it because you don’t want to worry anyone else with it until you’ve figured it out yourself. For me it was good as it my mobility.

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And the stem from the spine, so is it really any wonder that you’d feel it reverberate throughout your body when certain nerves are compromised in some way or other.

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Thank you, Emerald, for backing me up

Yes, too melodramatic for some to believe, but the experience went exactly as described. That’s a great diagram of the peripheral nervous system. We are on our own, fundamentally, but I use others to bounce and relate my ideas to…mostly that helps me stumble across new ideas (which I need today because I am struggling)

Take care, and a warm thanks, Roland

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The ageing spine is just as much of an issue for us over 50’s as well as the effect of the stroke on our spine. What effect has it had on our spine when we’ve had a stroke. For a lot of us, we’ve collapsed down one side, much like this push puppet.:
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So how has that collapse compromised nerves and their signals. I think what I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with our brain having to reconnect signalling in our stroke brains or having to relearn things.

Have you thought about what you did that previous day that could have sparked this reaction. Because to me, that sounds like something trying to break free, and when you are lying down nice and relaxed that’s usually when it tries to do that…at least that’s how it has been for me. So it may be something to do with what you did the previous day or two; a certain exercise or whatever. You really need to think about that and maybe repeat it.

We all certainly need to strengthen our cores to support our spin and get some level of flexibility back into our spins…before the rigor mortis sets in so to speak :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: And there are hip and back stretches that can be done to help unlock nerves and muscles.

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not sure what you are referring to here, Emerald ? The electric eel episode? Because that doesn’t bother me much. It has been going on for every other day last 7 months. Usually just as I wake up, or just before.
What bothers me is that I am very frightened about hyper-tone, my tense jaw, neck and shoulder (from handle bars of the treadmill), my watery eye with no lipid layer (MGD), and my lack of proprioception especially with my arm.

My Chinese doctor does a huge amount to compensate for the lateral imbalance of forces on my spine. Without him my spine would be very deformed. Anyway nerves and muscles are at the core of my concerns, so your post is very relevant. Thanks.

Roland

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Have you tried a week off from exercises to see what impact it’s having on your 2ndry symptoms?
Ciao
Simon

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Most I have tried is 2-3 days off ; even those had a minimum set of exercises. Now, I think I am on to a technique to strengthen my outer thigh ( using gluteus medius ) that addresses my locked glute. If it doesn’t quite solve it , at least it will bring me one step closer to solving it. I only learnt about it yesterday from my physio, so early days.

How are you doing, Simon ?
Your hand still making progress ?

Thx for liking so many of my posts… you’ve been following me, I feel !!
Ciao ciao have a nice Sunday, Roland

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I’m slowly catching up on the backlog of what I haven’t read in the previous month yet.

I have no idea how many posts I’ve liked but quite a few of everybody’s!

I’m currently wrestling with the notion that I don’t do as much exercise as I should / could - Which is a motivational/emotional/something or other problem.

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Yes, apathy can really ruin it all. My dear mother had extreme apathy. She, also, had a lot of physical abilities that many stroke patients don’t have. But, as I’ve always said: Mind over Matter. I don’t judge her for it, as I wasn’t her, nor was I in her body or brain. She had so much potential, but…

Apathy – I get that, and I never had a stroke.

Don’t judge yourself for not having motivation - it’s not your fault. Do the best you can do in the moment.

Take good care.

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