4/17/25

Hello!!

I have been swamped focusing on my continued hand recovery, which I have realized recently is creating a hand that works entirely differently than it worked before. It looks the same, and it’s still attached to me in mostly the same way as before, but the neural pathways on the right side of my brain that controlled it previously are gone. The left side of my brain controls my left hand now. It’s been really awesome to see neuroplasticity in my own body. My hand’s pronouns have also changed to she/her as she learns to listen to what I want to do with her. I have 2 working hands now, I just have to have patience with lefty. This isn’t difficult, because it’s so damn fun to do things for the first time again.

I went to Houston in March with my dad for a few days to get Well Cell’s PIR treatments and to work in person for once. We developed a treatment plan where I will go down every 6 weeks or so. When I was there, it was discovered that my cholesterol and triglycerides were extremely, dangerously high, for an otherwise healthy 23 year old woman. Like high 800’s levels high. The NP there, Lisha, theorized that the combination of the medications I was on for the last 4 ish years, to cope with my strokes may be part of the cause. I was on an antidepressant to manage OCD symptoms that came about from doing my coping strategies and compensations obsessively. I am also on a muscle relaxer, a headache medication, and an anti-seizure medication. I refused to come off of any of these. I am very happy with my life, I’m not depressed, I don’t have OCD symptoms anymore, I have situational anxiety, but that was there with or without the antidepressant. It was beyond time to get off my mood stabilizer. What I wish my psychiatrist would have told me about getting off of it was the symptoms I MIGHT experience, because I have almost all of the following.

• Flu-like symptoms (have)
• Dizziness (have)
• Strange neural sensations, such as brain zaps or unexplained itching( have… my left arm/shoulder keeps jumping?)
• Nausea (have)
• Vomiting (have)
• Cramps (have)
• Diarrhea (don’t have)
• Depression (don’t have)
• Anxiety (don’t have)
• Sleep issues (have)
• Coordination impairment (have)

It’s really validating to know that the way I’m feeling physically can be blamed on a medication, and that I’m not insane.

We took my cat outside today, on a leash, in a harness. I’m not sure if he liked it, it might have further traumatized him. He was a stray before he found me, and he loves sitting by windows and screen doors. Not sure where we go from here. My mom bought a cable to attach him to, but I don’t know if he’ll be up for that. He might like the screen doors.

Everything is blooming outside, it’s sunny every day, it’s gorgeous. I’m buying linen curtains to put on my windows in my room to make my room glow. Life is so good right now. Til next time, not sure when.. ☺MK