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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 520
Veteran_AS_Kicker
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Veteran_AS_Kicker
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 520 |
When I started to lose my balance is when I got a cane. I didn't really like the idea so i stickered it up and made it my own. Im actually in the third month of finally not losing it because I've gotten my balance back. That cane is always there though and sometimes I do use it if I'm flaring or am walking far.
Good luck and you are in my prayers.
Marnie
~*~ my captive gaze inside your eyes ~*~
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809
Ninja_AS_Kicker
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OP
Ninja_AS_Kicker
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809 |
I agree with the use of a walking stick to aid with balance. This is a subject under discussion with my doctor ;-)
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809
Ninja_AS_Kicker
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OP
Ninja_AS_Kicker
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809 |
Quote:
Hey Platypus,
A nice service dog will give you balance to walk. I know he or she would love to swim with you too.
Hey Canonlab,
my dog was not a lot of use when I almost tumbled into the swimming pool. She hates the water.
I am not that bad that I need to be walking around with a dog. There are reasons for the loss of balance and I need to do the right things to correct the problem as much as possible. If necessary, I do use a walking stick, but I use it sparingly.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809
Ninja_AS_Kicker
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OP
Ninja_AS_Kicker
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809 |
I had another review with my doctor yesterday. I am still very sore around the region of the coccyx and yes I am feeling the bruising on the toush as well. I did a lot of walking yesterday and I am happy that I was able to walk about so much. Anyway, I have agreed with my doctor that we will not go ahead with an x-ray. It can only confirm what is suspected - that there is a minor fracture on the coccyx. We have decided to treat the injury as though there is a fracture and then see what happens. My present treatment will not change. I will stay on the Celebrex, and can go as high as 400mgs but for no longer than 1 week. My doctor knows that I am very much aware of the risks of taking that medication at a slightly higher dose. I have the di-gesic on hand, but continue to limit my use of that medication. I am allowed to take up to 6 tablets in a day. I will stick to 75 mg of the Lyrica to make sure that I do not run out of my supply. I am only using the Lyrica when I know that I have the nerve pain. I have discussed the fact that I have noticed the pain whilst walking, and I will have to do better with my notetaking - mental notes are really not much use. We discussed the balance issue again. He was concerned about the fact that since he has been looking after me that I have had a lot of falls. I guess he did not review my records to note that I had some severe ones before he became my GP  . Anyway, I had already discussed the issue with my physiotherapist and I am supposed to be adding some more balance exercises to my routine. We specifically discussed the possible causes of the falls - like not lifting my feet high enough, tripping on shoelaces, tripping over the slightest edge, and of course the issue with the laxity of my ankle ligaments. He tends to think that I am hypermobile and that this is the probable cause of the loss of balance. He noted that I had indicated that when I used the ankle brace that I felt better supported, which is true. The ligaments of my left ankle responded very well to the wearing of the ankle brace and I am now 90% better with regards to my feet, and that means less pain from the calcaneal heel spurs.  MaggieinOz
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809
Ninja_AS_Kicker
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OP
Ninja_AS_Kicker
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809 |
After feeling marginally better since my fall, and especially now that the bruises have disappeared, I have started on the downward slope. The humidity in Sydney has sent me into a flare and it is so painful that even my feet have gone for a setback. I can feel the pain around the region of my SI joints. It is a slightly different pain from the pain around the coccyx. It hurts so much more than the other pain, and my walking is a lot more restricted. Yesterday I found myself feeling as though I was going to lose balance again and so I got out the walking stick. This morning I had that feeling in the lower back and decided to use the stick again. I do feel as though I have a better balance when I am using the stick. I can manage to get up and down the few altar steps when I am using the stick, and it helps me a lot to be able to lean on the stick when it is my turn to read at Mass. Hopefully, I will begin to feel better again very soon. So, what happened last night? I was at a gathering and someone took my seat, so I tried to sit on the large square thing but it tipped me flat on my butt on the floor, and I had a cup of tea in my hand.... I did not spill a drop  MaggieinOz
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,016
Imperial_AS_Kicker
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Imperial_AS_Kicker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,016 |
One thing can be said for AS'ers, we sure know how to fall in style  Really you should use that walking stick more it does help. I had family, friends, and docs tell me for 2 years to use a cane. I finally swallowed my pride and started using one. It has cut down the amount falls, but, I can't "entertain" people with my graceful falls anymore  On a real note, I'm so sorry to hear things have gone down hill for you pain wise. Can your docs chance your meds to help bring some of your pain down? I keep forgetting it's summer there. We are in winter, cold, damp, yuk. I hope you are feeling some better and Happy Holidays  Cindy
" That which does not kill me only makes me stronger"
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 8,190
Very_Addicted_to_AS_Kickin
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Very_Addicted_to_AS_Kickin
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 8,190 |
The last time I tried to save my coccyx I broke my wrist..... Well then there was the time I tripped on something on my way to bed and fell into the curtains knocked them clear off the window rods, fell on top of me...then Bill sat straight up in bed and said "Mom" are you ok? then before I could speak Tori and Ethan woke up from a sound sleep and ran in wanting to know if I was ok.....lol I am sorry you fell and I hope you get to feelng better soon. Take Care, Lisa 
Speak kindly, Live simply, Care deeply, Love generously, and BLAH, HA, HA, LOUDLY! every chance you get.
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809
Ninja_AS_Kicker
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OP
Ninja_AS_Kicker
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809 |
Quote:
One thing can be said for AS'ers, we sure know how to fall in style Really you should use that walking stick more it does help. I had family, friends, and docs tell me for 2 years to use a cane. I finally swallowed my pride and started using one. It has cut down the amount falls, but, I can't "entertain" people with my graceful falls anymore
On a real note, I'm so sorry to hear things have gone down hill for you pain wise. Can your docs chance your meds to help bring some of your pain down?
I keep forgetting it's summer there. We are in winter, cold, damp, yuk.
I hope you are feeling some better and Happy Holidays
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
we are in humid summer yuk !! This is a part of the reason that I do get in so much pain. It happens every year.
I have been using the walking stick on and off over the past few weeks. There are days when I am feeling quite weak, as though I am going to lose my balance. I had to use it on Christmas Eve at church, but was ok the next day, despite doing so much standing. I have been paying for the fact that I have exacerbated the pain in my feet again.
When I had the fall I took myself to the medical centre to see my doctor (who is on duty on the Saturday afternoon and evening). It was back to Digesic to deal with the pain in the butt.
Now here is the good and encouraging news: doing the hydrotherapy has helped me to keep the pain under control to a greater extent than in the past. I have been doing a lot of butt squeezes, even though these also hurt at times. I am managing the stairs without wanting to say ouch all of the time (only sometimes ). I am sitting for longer periods at a time and the length of time has increased over the last few days
I have been dealing with the situation by getting up and walking around the pool. As a result I have been increasing my daily step count and have been hitting 10,000 plus steps more than 2-3 times per week. I reached almost 16000 steps on one particular day and have been hovering between 11,000 and 14,000 on several occasions as well. I have a waffle weave foam cushion and this really helps to take the pressure off my bottom. I have been doing a lot more knitting and crochet, and that is why I get up and do several rounds around the swimming pool.
I am having difficulty with sitting on wooden seats, and my allergy to wooden seats is really bad at the present time. I am now officially doing the BYOC (bring your own cushion) thing at church. I have a foam waffle weave cushion, plus a round cushion put together in a bag. This helps but when things are playing up I need another cushion for my back. I have a bigger allergy to those horrible plastic bucket seats. I am lucky if I can sit more than 10 minutes in those horrible chairs. It is for that reason that I have a tendency to get up and help out at the church door in welcoming people as they come for Mass. I did this over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I could not sit for any length of time, but could stand with short rest breaks. I am now handling the steps onto the altar. If I approach them the right way I am less likely to want to go "ouch".
Since the accident I have found it necessary to stay with a daily dose of the Celebrex. I have always had a tendency to not have my medication when I am feeling better, but at the moment... no way. During the worst of the pain I increased the Celebrex to 400 mg with my doctor's permission, and have decreased that dose again.
When I am in the hydrotherapy pool I have been doing all of the stretches and exercises that make me feel better. I am doing one that is a rocking motion, and I extend my legs back as far as possible. It is really helpful. I must say that I do like the idea of just following what my body tells me. When I went there on the Tuesday after the first accident, I was very stiff, and could barely walk up the ramp out of the water. I could not do freestyle and walking was extremely painful. I have improved a lot since then and I am now getting in several laps of freestyle. I use the chair for several of my exercises, and the surface was extremely hard, but even that was a lot better on Thursday.
I can feel the difference when I am bying down in bed as well. I am now able to lie on my back for a longer period of time without the pain. I am still sleeping on my side and have a bolster pillow tucked underneath my bottom. It is amazing how that has really helped to take off the strain on my muscles and ligaments.
Today I had a slightly better day in the butt department, but not so good with the feet. However, things really can only get better again.
MaggieinOz
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809
Ninja_AS_Kicker
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OP
Ninja_AS_Kicker
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 809 |
Quote:
The last time I tried to save my coccyx I broke my wrist.....
Well then there was the time I tripped on something on my way to bed and fell into the curtains knocked them clear off the window rods, fell on top of me...then Bill sat straight up in bed and said "Mom" are you ok? then before I could speak Tori and Ethan woke up from a sound sleep and ran in wanting to know if I was ok.....lol
I am sorry you fell and I hope you get to feelng better soon.
Take Care,
Lisa
Since I lost count of the times that I have fallen down the stairs, and all of the other falls, I guess I really have been lucky that my score is only a fractured coccyx twice, plus a fracture in one elbow.
I know all about those spectacular falls. There was this time when I was supposed to check what I was doing before getting out of the lift, because the lift was not stopping at the floor correctly. Well, I fell out, and into the path of the postal worker who was bringing in the mail. I had a very sore foot, and sore knee as a result of that fall. Then there was this other fall on the stairs at home where I scored a huge bruise on my butt, and fortunately no fracture that time.
I have been lucky that I have only sprained my wrists when I have fallen. Then there was the time when I sprained my wrist after falling off my gym ball and I was heading to Melbourne the next day. I decided to use my wrist support and forgot about the metal inside the support until the metal detector went off. At least I did not have to take off my shoes!! Then there was the time when I sprained my ankle in the middle of the road when I was on the way for a dental appointment - my dentist offered to not do the tooth that needed attention, but I declined his generous offer. After he had finished with my tooth, I then found a medical centre and received attention for my ankle. That is when I met another really excellent physiotherapist. (You ought to hear the whole of that story  ).
However, my most spectacular falls of late always happen when I am..... HOME ALONE.....
MaggieinOz
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,016
Imperial_AS_Kicker
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Imperial_AS_Kicker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,016 |
I'm so happy to hear of your improvement I too have gone back to the water. After our move 2 weeks ago, I found a little pool in town that was quiet, and warm. I had my hubby buy me a membership for Christmas and it's the best gift anyone could ever give me. I've slowly started my deepwater walking and exercises and then do some 4 ft. to teach myself how to walk again. Just being back in the pool after all these years has been absolutly wonderful. Yes, I still have to take my pain meds, but, physically I feel a bit stronger and emotionally, a bit more able to accept and adapt. Keep up the good work in the pool, it really is the best thing for anyone with AS. Tote that cushion, many of us have to do that. Hard chairs definately are not our friend Good luck fellow "fish" and keep me posted  Cindy
" That which does not kill me only makes me stronger"
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