Dave's Testimony

I’m remembering my personal battle- against Dystonia, and realizing that it was a year ago that I made the decision to contact STRC for help. A year ago, I was in a really desperate situation, and driven by desperation to make that contact.

But I remember things long before making that decision too. Like wondering how well my Botox injections were going to work - this time. Or those times when I had to work at home, even though work was only three blocks away - I couldn’t even walk that far. Occasionally, I had to take taxis to get to meetings- only three blocks!

Other memories surrounded courting my wonderful wife Kathy. She lived two hours away from me then, and every 2nd weekend, I’d travel by bus to see her. I remember very well getting pilled up for the trip, and the fact that the bus would be on a particular rough stretch of rural road near the end of the trip - just when the pills were wearing off. I would be so uncomfortable with violent neck spasms, I would almost black out - my vision would get like a dark tunnel as the spasms kept the blood supply from reaching my brain. Once in Kathy’s apartment, I would have to pill up again and lay down for almost two hours just to get functional again. I remember one time like this it was so bad I had to call my neurologist to see if I could get an emergency Botox dose.

I remember trying to sit through a church service. I couldn’t, so I requested a special chair,which the church graciously provided. It still didn’t work, so I stopped going. I remember even during good times, when the Botox was working well, I still had to walk with the aid of a hiking stick; I thought that was such a blessing at the time. I also remember giving my car to my son and his new wife - a great wedding gift for them, but only because the car was no good to me anymore if I couldn’t even turn my head far enough to check my mirrors.

Now a year after the crises that led to beginning my STRC program- how things have changed. Now my memories are about that really long walk I took in the spring. I have another car, because I can drive again. Not long ago the car was in the shop, and I had two hours to kill, so I walked for two hours perfectly straight, really fast, and with no hiking stick. And I had not had Botox for almost six months at that point. I was so happy I had to tell the world, and in the days that followed, I crammed a year’s worth of walking into a few days. I remember seeing co-workers again, that had not seen me for over a year. One particularly hard nosed guy called it a miracle - he couldn’t believe how much my body had straightened, and how much colour was back in my face. And now that I have married Kathy, and we live in her town which is two hours away from where I used to live and work, I drive myself those two hours to get to meetings- a far cry from a three block taxi ride!

I remember all this, because for what I thought was a hopeless condition I would have to endure for the rest of my life, there really is hope! I found the real hope came from a real simple physical workout discovered by a very special lady in New Mexico. Knowing that Abbie was in even worse shape than myself, I marvel at how she endured for so long to even discover these exercises and make them work for herself - to the point she could share her discovery with others from all corners of the world.

So, while remembering, I offer this to all who are in this battle. I know some are struggling hard - just keep fighting! The STRC clinic is a case of seek and ye shall find if there ever was one!

With Love and Prayers,

Dave