Balancing Act
Ok after the other day I am so stoked that I am having a good balance day!
Not that I don’t deserve it mind you – for the last four years (when I had my 1st stroke -still wonder if they were not really MS but it really was different in some ways than what I got going on now) I have spent a good hour or two doing silly exercises like standing in a corner on a pillow and trying not to fall to pulling my toes up with a giant rubber band thing. I learned most of these in physical therapy for my strokes.
The new PE class has really helped with providing more specific exercises for improving balance and gait. Some of them really seem kind of pointless until the results roll in. The core strengthening has helped the most so far I think. I am staring at my feet less when on solid ground. Since I really don’t feel my feet the feedback in my upper legs and torso are my main ways of knowing where the heck my little tootsies are at any given moment.
Watching videos about exercises suggested for MS, the mechanics of walking, peoples stories etc. – no I am not gonna tell you I can climb a mountain or that I willed my way into this but I do believe that doing everything I can when I can helps. Gosh if wanting something to be so worked I would be one MS free gal. Please remind me of this positiveness when I am in a crap mode.
Balance is another thing. Close my eyes and I am almost guaranteed to go down for the count. But when you see my video below realize that this seriously is the first time in almost a year that I could do this – just saying . … I am not gonna go down without a fight no matter how small the victories are but this one is huge to me and I am hoping it stays. Once again, remind me when I can’t and am in crap mode.
From my Doc’s I pretty much have gotten it is what it is and offers of adaptive aids. Never other than three exercises supposedly specific to my needs with my issues because of the Multiple sclerosis (squatting slowly holding something, standing on my toes, and trying to do some sort of crunch). Then again I only was allowed to see the physical therapist I think it was four or five times?The neurologist is so worried that I might fall down that I never get more than five feet before she goes nuts. The message is you can not do it so stop. And the electrocution doc (physio something – the ones that zap you to test responses etc) had the same message.
Well, I still can not feel my foots (if toes are toes then two foot are foots and there are three feet in a yard – I swear I don’t know whose feet are in my yard but they are not mine) but . …