Determined to Walk Again
At my yearly visit to my neurologist, she told me she noticed something. We noticed it too; I was having major pain in all my joints, back and shoulders. No matter what we did we couldn't make it stop.
So she put me on a new medication – I wish I had been put on it years ago. My pain is almost entirely gone. Now that I am free of pain, I have begun doing something that I thought I would never do again.
My husband uses the Hoyer lift to place me into the glider rocker chair. The Hoyer is put in front of me so that I can use it to start the rocking motion. The first time I did it I was able to rock for about 10 minutes, but my body was being torqued to one side. We figured out that the Hoyer sling wasn't positioned correctly under me for the move to the chair, a we've conquered that problem.
The next time that I rocked I was able to do it for one hour. Last night I did for two hours! I am also working out my legs while I'm lying on my bed, during commercial breaks. I've developed a routine. I work them out targeting specific muscle groups.
Eventually I will practice getting up from a firm surface during commercial breaks. I'll be using my walker to assist me. After that I plan to stand through commercial breaks. I'll do that for a while. I plan to eventually walk using my walker. I'll do that until I am able to walk on my own – I plan on walking around the house.
The next part of our plan is so exciting. We are going to wait until our daughter and her fiancé are coming here to see us. We are going to lock the deadbolt, so they will have to use the doorbell and my husband will go and let them in. When they enter the house I will be STANDING the middle of the room!
I know they will be amazed. Our daughter hasn't seen me walk unassisted since she was in kindergarten. I fully expect a mixture of excitement, tears, and the biggest smile from both of them. Her fiancé has never seen me stand. I'm always on the bed or in a wheelchair. I plan to walk down the aisle at their wedding!
I wish that I had been on this anti-spasm medication, called baclofen, from the beginning of my long 23+ years of dealing with MS.
Never hesitate to ask questions. Never lose hope. There is always someone out there dealing with difficult situations either personally or physically.
Learn more about walking with MS.
