neu·ro·plas·tic·i·ty
noun
the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.
“neuroplasticity offers real hope to everyone from stroke victims to dyslexics”
As per definition, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to create new neurological connections if the original connections were damaged by strokes, neurological diseases, chronic infections, radiation, Neurological Lyme Disease, car accidents, gun shots and so forth.
My brain got attacked by the Borrelia Burgdorferi a bacterial species of the spirochete class, among other things, and produced neurological symptoms, among other things, that resembled early sighs of Alzheimer’s. That was a very scary time of battle, because I was aware of everything that was happening to me most of the time but felt absolutely trapped in my own body. Any mental commands that worked before no longer seemed to do their job to its full capacity, as if there was a disconnect somewhere between my brain and the rest of the body. Tree years later, through great treatments we’ve eliminated an extensive amount of neurological damage, but some traces remain, enough to keep me from driving long distances or start a job just yet. So recently the treatments have been focused on these neurological symptoms, meaning new tests and medication.
To my surprise a big step in healing was an approach I’ve never though about it. Legos. Yes, Legos. I developed an obsessive need to build with Legos two months ago, and after purchasing few sets of Legos, my therapy began. The first time I began building my head felt as if one angry person grabbed a beehive, shook it very hard agitating the living lights out of the bees and immediately stuck it inside my brain. It was very hard to focus and the brain became very agitated, followed by headaches and vision irritation. Something was happening, even if I didn’t fully understood what exactly that was. I did my therapy couple hours or more every day and after one week the bees inside my head got less agitated until eventually they stopped. What began as an awkward building process only toddlers go through soon turned into a well coordinated process. Next I began using my left hand mostly (I’m a righty) and the buzzing began again but not nearly as intense as the first week. Pretty soon I began building with my right hand behind my back, using mostly my left hand.
I still have moments of awkwardness both left and right, when the brain seems to want a vacation but overall I’ve seen great improvement in coordination, memory and focus (my focus was very reduced).
It’s as if I was building an overpass over the old run down highways of my mind through a pleasant process such as building with Legos. I don’t need daily therapy now, but I do need it a few days a week, especially when stressed. I seem to think of nothing else during those moments as an overwhelming desire to build washes over me. In Legos there’s a structure to everything and a way to get to your goal.
The past week, I’ve had to stop medication for a test I need to take late this week and my body hurts tremendously, my joins and bones especially, my brain, fatigued, nausea and lack of appetite have returned. On a good note, the 23andme results are here, and although i need to send them to another place for full interpretation, I found out that I’m 99.8% European, mostly Eastern European with very few and very small variations, in other words I’m a pure breed:)
I wish you well, God bless and have a fantastic week:)
2016 has been a good year for the McKnight family and we’re very grateful to God and each other for everything we did together:)
Journey 