Spasmodic torticollis ~aka~ cervical dystonia

What is it?
 
Spasmodic torticollis is a chronic neurological movement disorder causing the neck to involuntarily turn to the left, right, upwards and/or downwards.  Causes of the disorder are mostly idiopathic (spontaneous), although a small number of patients develop the disorder as a result of another disease.  Most patients first experience symptoms mid-life.  The most common treatment for spasmodic torticollis is the use of botox injections.
 
Why am I blogging about this?
 
My Dad was diagnosed with cervical dystonia almost 2yrs ago (at the young age of 51).  He had been a healthy man all of his life up until then.  He started noticing at work his head would involuntarily move to the left.  No matter how hard he tried to look straight forward, it would still pull to the left.  After co-workers started noticing and commenting on it (making fun of him), he went to the doctor.  It took a while but the doctor finally diagnosed him. 
 
Initially they tried a muscle relaxer and some neck exercises to try and loosen up the nerves in his neck to no avail.  Sleeping was uncomfortable and driving even became impossible.  Obviously the doctor couldn't approve work duty with this condition since there seemed to be no safe way my Dad could get to work.  The doctor eventually suggested they start doing Botox injections in his neck to see if it helped.  My Dad has continued with the injections every 12-14 weeks.  He generally gets 6-8 injections in his neck per visit.  There's definitely a big difference between when he has had a recent injection and when he hasn't. 
 
After being on short-term disability from work for so long, they finally laid him off :(  after 20yrs of service.  After this, his long-term disability kicked in and was going great until September 2010 - an Aetna team had contacted my Dad's doctor to do a patient review...apparently the doctor wasn't exactly stern when describing my Dad's condition and after the conversation ended, Aetna decided my Dad COULD work.  Of course my Dad was livid, how can the doctor tell him he can't go back to work but not keep the same story when the insurance company calls to investigate things?!?!  Since September 2010, my Dad has been without any income what-so-ever, he's been going back and forth with Aetna and his doctor's office to try and get some resolution.  Ever since then, he's been down to just the change in his pocket, avoiding creditors and trying to explain to Bank of America that he wasn't purposely delinquent on his mortgage and trying NOT to go insane. 
 
Finally after 6.5mos of arguing Aetna called him yesterday to let him know they've reinstated his service and will immediately be sending him a retroactive check to pay for the months of disability he has missed.  This deserves a CELEBRATION!!!  I am sooooo happy for him, he was only 30 days shy from losing his house and then this GREAT news is given to him.  Praise the LORD!!!!!
 
This is just a reminder that you never know what can happen at any time in your life and to be thankful for what you have.  We may not always know what our future holds and should take life one step at a time, but always.....keep the faith.