Monday, May 16, 2011

How I walk

Walking is always taken for granted by most people. Once a person deals with an illness such as Multiple Sclerosis it gives you a renewed sense of how important walking is. As soon as I was discharged from the regular hospital I spent almost 2 weeks in inpatient physical therapy being retrained on something I had been doing for about 29 years. It didn't come easy to me, I won't lie I had spent alot of time balancing in front of the ballerina bars until I didn't need two hands to do it. I started out like most folks lumbering forward like Frankenstein's monster. I was fortunate to have my own cheerleaders )my wife and family,even my cats)(nothing encourages you like a cat freaking out because you're all wobbly over it)


I embraced my franken-walking no matter how silly it looked to the unknowing public. With continued phys-therapy and continued tysabri (natalizumab) I believe I have progressed to baby step walking where my joints are a little more co-ordinated and I'm more confident that I won't fall on my face. I have been using a cane rather than the walker (when strength permits) and that's why I refer to it like baby walking. Life is going good and I'm feeling stronger, and no squashed cats!