We're NOT Crazy

We're NOT crazy. Our necks ARE pulling, and the tremors ARE real. Too many of us have gone undiagnosed...so, let's not let this happen to others.

Let's share all the helpful information about Cervical Dystonia we can, and guide the ones that are suffering to see a MOVEMENT DISORDER SPECIALIST.

Put Yourself First and Dystonia Second

How many of us feel stuck? Can't seem to get ahead? Family, friends, and careers are effected by our unhappiness? 

A Certified Professional Coach...with a degree in Psychology...can give you tools and techniques that will take from the place you are now, to the place you want to be in life. People who excel have made the "choice" to move forward. 

Dystonia can have physical, mental, and emotional challenges that hold many of us back. We all have different types of Dystonia, with different challenges. I get that. I have Cervical Dystonia, and there are so many things that it's taken away from my life...and there are so many things it's added to my life. I've learned to adjust, become more creative, learn, and move forward towards a happier life that works for me. You can too! It's all about putting ourselves first and Dystonia second. I bet you never miss an opportunity to get to the doctor to treat your Dystonia, but you've allowed yourself to miss opportunities to enjoy the outdoors or meeting up with good friends because you've allowed Dystonia to be an excuse to LIVE and be HAPPY. We ALL deserve to LIVE and be HAPPY, whether we have Dystonia or not.

What if you can work on one thing, just one thing, you can change that will make your life easier/happier. What would that be? What would your life look like, feel like, after that change is made?

Life and Relationship coaching can help you identify what's blocking you, create an action plan, be by your side throughout your journey, and celebrate your achievements with you. Call for a free consultation, and start your journey today. Please note that price per session is different for Coaching someone with Dystonia. Call for free consultation and pricing today. 

www.donnaleakeclc.com

Why Hire A Coach Who Has Dystonia?

When I was diagnosed with Dystonia...

- I was at the point where my neck was constantly pulling and twitching.

- Every time I bent down to pick something up, my head would turn upwards to the left, and I wasn't able to see what I was reaching for.

- Using my arms/hands, to do simple things that we take for granted, was becoming impossible. The pain from my head twisting and turning had me in tears at times. These simple tasks were things like...opening the mail, cutting my food, zipping up my jacket, tying my sneakers, putting on socks, buttoning my pants...and even worse, all of these things effected me more as I was trying to do them all for my child each day.

- The anxiety that came from the embarrassment of people watching my head pull/twitch was enough to make anyone want to stay home. To this day, putting groceries or clothing by a register and reaching for my wallet can instantly cause my dystonic spasms to increase, while my heart is pounding out of my chest with anxieties that others are watching me.

- I had so many specialists tell me their thoughts of what was going on with me...I was just tense from stress, that an x-ray had shown I had a little arthritis in my neck, all I needed was an adjustment from a chiropractor, all I needed was an epidural procedure on my discs and I would be fine, etc.

- Finally a doctor was able to give me a diagnoses, and I was able to get the proper treatment. Which was Botox injections every 3 months for the rest of my life. Treatment was a success, pulls were less noticeable, and I was able to do all the simple things again without being in pain.

8 1/2 years ago I began treatment. I still have my challenges, but I am so used to living with this condition that I only notice it most when I'm stressed out or haven't done yoga/physical activity.

What's the purpose of this post? Not to tell my story over and over again, but to remind myself what I went through to get to where I am today. To remind myself that there are so many others that are still undiagnosed, still searching for a treatment that will work for them, have become depressed, have become introverted, have financial struggles, etc.

If you are someone who is suffering from Dystonia, are a caretaker for someone suffering from Dystonia, or know of someone with Dystonia please contact me for coaching. I can help you move to a happier/healthier place. I know, better than anyone else who doesn't have Dystonia, what your struggles are, what your worries are, what your pain feels like, the embarrassment from stares, and how it feels when others question your disease.

Don't wait any longer to reach out. My contact number is 631-988-4001, my email is donnaleakeclc@gmail.com I want to help!

When People Stare

Have you ever been at a register and reached down to get your wallet and your neck starts to twist, bend, or shake up and down (as if you were nodding yes to something)?  How about when you put something on charge and you have to sign the receipt for the cashier and you're trying so hard to control your neck movements and sign the receipt before the cashier or people next to you take notice...what thoughts are going through your head at that moment?  Are you upset with the people who stared? Are you numb to it and don't even take notice anymore?  Do you leave the store feeling a bit down and sad?

I'm fortunate that my Botox treatments are doing a pretty good job in masking my dystonia.  The little twitches now and again have become such a part of my everyday being that I don't give it much thought.  However, when there are those moments when my neck decides to take a huge stretch and twitch at moments when I'm being watched, I become fully aware of my surroundings and become anxious and cannot move fast enough to make that moment end! I can actually feel my body heat up and begin to sweat.  Once the whole transaction of my purchase is completed, I walk away and erase it completely from my memory.  It happened, it ended, I moved on.  There's too much to enjoy in life than to sweat (literally) the small stuff!

How do you handle situation s when you have people wondering why you're twitching or bending involuntarily?

Still Twitching

I noticed yesterday that my neck has been twitching a lot more each day when I either turn it to the left side, or when I'm reading something and my neck is tilted downward. I still haven't called to find out when my next treatment is, I believe it's in September because my last treatment was in June. One would think I would just pick up the phone and call to find out. :)

Maybe it's time for Dr. Schwartz to inject other muscles this time around. I'll just keep journaling on how I'm doing and try to figure it all out, so maintaining my health in the future will hopefully get easier for me.