Restless?
...
Until very recently, Robb was like a block of wood when he slept. He didn't move an inch. I think part of this was Robb being a Model Patient (even in his sleep, he obeyed his "spinal precautions") and part of this was weakness and paralysis. When he needed to roll over in bed, he would grab onto the bookcase and haul himself over. It wasn't graceful or easy, but it got the job done.
Lately, Robb's legs have been twitching spasmodically while he sleeps. Last night, neither of us slept very well. When Robb did manage to sleep, the twitching was keeping me awake. (Such a strange thing, it happens like clockwork, about every forty-five seconds.)
I suspect that this is another sign that Robb's legs are being re-enervated. The nerves continue to send messages to the muscles, and the muscles are beginning to "hear" these messages and are trying to respond. I recall that some of the earliest experiments involving electricity and the body involved making dead frog's legs "jump" by means of electric shocks to their nerve cells. Transpose this idea from a frog to Robb, and you've got the idea of what's going on.
I've written previously that parts of Robb's body where the nerves are (hopefully) healing, and that at this point are terribly hypersensitive to any kind of stimulus. Last night I tried to cuddle up with Robb and the sensation of my legs touching his made him cry out in discomfort.
Add to that three roving pussycats and Robb's new habit of wandering our apartment at 4:30 in the morning, and you'll see why nobody got a very good night's sleep.
Still, I'm hopeful that this is a sign of recovery. I may lose a bit of sleep now, but that's okay if it means that Robb may be getting better.
Until very recently, Robb was like a block of wood when he slept. He didn't move an inch. I think part of this was Robb being a Model Patient (even in his sleep, he obeyed his "spinal precautions") and part of this was weakness and paralysis. When he needed to roll over in bed, he would grab onto the bookcase and haul himself over. It wasn't graceful or easy, but it got the job done.
Lately, Robb's legs have been twitching spasmodically while he sleeps. Last night, neither of us slept very well. When Robb did manage to sleep, the twitching was keeping me awake. (Such a strange thing, it happens like clockwork, about every forty-five seconds.)
I suspect that this is another sign that Robb's legs are being re-enervated. The nerves continue to send messages to the muscles, and the muscles are beginning to "hear" these messages and are trying to respond. I recall that some of the earliest experiments involving electricity and the body involved making dead frog's legs "jump" by means of electric shocks to their nerve cells. Transpose this idea from a frog to Robb, and you've got the idea of what's going on.
I've written previously that parts of Robb's body where the nerves are (hopefully) healing, and that at this point are terribly hypersensitive to any kind of stimulus. Last night I tried to cuddle up with Robb and the sensation of my legs touching his made him cry out in discomfort.
Add to that three roving pussycats and Robb's new habit of wandering our apartment at 4:30 in the morning, and you'll see why nobody got a very good night's sleep.
Still, I'm hopeful that this is a sign of recovery. I may lose a bit of sleep now, but that's okay if it means that Robb may be getting better.
Comments
If they all twitch at once it could start a new dance craze! It would probably also freak out your cats completely. I could see this as a site on youtube.
Annalisa
Anna
Annalisa
PS Why are "Anonymous"'s comments signed Annalisa...