By the time we got home (10 pm), my hand was in full spaz mode. (The technical term is "spasticity" which...in untechnical terms means "being spazzy". ) The first picture is my hand "relaxed." My fingers are so tight you can't even see my nails. I cannot open my fingers, and Bill has to use force to open them for me (gently as part of a therapy exercise). I went to bed last night with a fist, and I woke up this morning still with a fist. Today was the first time I've gone to bed *and* woken up the next morning with a fist.
Back to the present: The second picture is me using all my muscles and focus to open my hand this morning. Imagine the strain of lifting a 75 pound box (if you're my size--adjust the weight to your body type!). A few inches--maybe--and then you're exhausted. That is what me pulling open my fingers feels like.
I got out our heating pad and warmed up my arm. The heat helped my muscles relax, so while my brain still needed convincing, it was much easier to pry my fingers open, which in turn helped my brain realize it was sending the wrong messages.