Generalized Dystonia with a side of Choreiform Movements and CrossFit

So, just as an aside as most people who only know me from around the gym or socially don't know that I have something called generalized dystonia.  I't's kind of like Parkinson's where its the same area of the brain (basal ganglia) and neurotransmitter (dopamine) except it's not progressive (but can "change over time") and it won't kill you (except in really rare cases, which I don't have).  It's common (third most common neurological disorder and we outnumber ALS and Huntington's Disease diagnoses combined) but not well known or really even well understood.  While I have one of the most debilitating forms of dystonia (generalized means it's from my head to my feet), most days I'm not symptomatic.  I live like I don't have a disability, which is a damn good deal.  But some days, I go from being like everyone else to a hot mess.  But, even then, I'm set up to deal with it pretty well on my own. 

On Monday, I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept at all.   I was exhausted, super grumpy and just feeling plain off.  While driving to work, I started to posture.  Great!  Just what you want at the start of the work week - a bad dystonia day.  

I postured all day long at the office.  By 3:00, I couldn't sit up in my office chair or use my keyboard or my mouse to work.  Finally, I felt my postures lessen by around 5:00 and an hour later I was okay enough that I could slowly make my way to the parking lot and then off to the gym.

Yep, the gym.  I wanted to get some video of me weightlifting while symptomatic.  As you can see, I'm actually pretty good by this point.  I look like a raging dork but, really, I'm only posturing slightly.

40kg snatch (I didn't finish my pull)

60kg clean

Kipping Muscle Up

But, check it out!  I don't display symptoms of my movement disorder when I'm doing movements I'm really familiar with.  How fucking cool is that?!?  Before and after, oh yes.  But not during.  I don't know if I've adapted (neuroplasticity) or muscle memory uses a different area of the brain - whatever it is, I'll take it.

And I'd just like to note some time frames here, too.  I developed dystonia in 2004 (tardive generalized dystonia as a result of an adverse reaction to an antidepressant). I didn't start CrossFit until 2008, and had absolutely no exposure to either weightlifting or gymnastics prior to this.  All of this stuff I learned after I developed dystonia.

My brain, while messed up, is also kind of fucking awesome.