Keep on Moving Club: May 2017

[Lazarus]

I went for a brief swim yesterday. No spasms after. Maybe the higher Baclofen dose is helping that.

That would be great!


. I often jump too quickly to decide if something is working or not. I suffered for a long time with what I insisted were deforming toes. When I finally looked at them during an episode I discovered that my toes were not curling up literally. I started taking baclofen which I had decided was a useless drug. Boy, was I wrong.

I take baclofen more regularly now and it helps although it does not eliminate the tendon tension it fixes it most of the time.

[Sunshine]

Yah. I would be dead without Baclofen. The trick is finding the best dose that helps but doesn't create bad side effects. That's what am in midst of right now.

[Sunshine]

I swept the porch, and a few hurricane shutters this morning after grocery shopping just after sunrise. Hoping a short swim will be okay and then get fish, produce and rest for the rest of the day.

[Pegakafarmgirl]

I am so glad to see everyone is working on the excercises,, I am trying hard,, some days the battle ends up in a tie, some days MS wins, but I just get more determined to win,, I still ride my horse, which its getting some what easier, once, I get in the saddle,, my horse is amazing,, he knows when its me riding him, and adjusts to me,,can't ask for anymore then that..

keep on/keeping on

[Sunshine]

That's amazing Peg!

[Virginia]

Peg that horse loves you like Howie's cats love him. That is so great! I do have to add though that your horse may be a little nicer than Howie's cat, Sam.

[Howie]

I just discovered I didn't click the "thanks" button anywhere on this post, but I remember BBS talking about lying on a tarp. Sorry, I think that last brain cell is in trouble.

I talk about Sam all the time, jokingly mostly, but she has become the sweetest thing. As I type this, she is in my lap. I sit on the edge of the bed, one leg on the floor, and the other folded over, and Sam gets in the space there.

I always pull the blanket over that folded leg, and it makes a perfect spot for her to lounge, sometimes taking a nap. Both are so sweet because I treat them so well. I talk to them and rub them constantly.

Cats!

[Sunshine]

We paddled out at 7:00 a.m. Enjoying the refreshing 76F water, sunny 71F air. The waves were glassy as the wind was from the west at about 3 mph. Waves were mostly knee to thigh, but larger ones rolled through.

Four of us buddies shared the bliss. It was crowded for a weekday, because it had been flat for a week, and waves were forecasted for today. There were some aggressive non local guys, maybe from South Florida, the concrete jungle.

I got three fun rides. One was waist high, and it came with a nice drop. I was able to shift my weight back and forth from the back foot to the front and back again, preserving the ride nicely. ..

Surfing with MS: I leave as soon as I get some neuropathy fire up, as it's a precursor to spasms.

So, the pinky toe started to fire up. Thus, I paddled for the next wave coming to me. Now, often, if you start to paddle too late, you end up a smidgen behind the wave crest. It's a gravity sport. You want to catch it so you can drop down the face.

Anyway,I knew that I couldn't paddle for another wave due to MS making its appearance. It would be this wave, or no wave...so, I decided to pop up, and then I immediately stomped the forward foot (like Lurch) on the nose-- victory: it pushed the board down the face of the wave! Yippee!

I saw my MS friend at the shower which was sweet. I am going to get my buddy to help her lie on the board on a flat day to enjoy the flotation and glide along as we gently move the board. Just as soon as the ocean is a tad warmer and flat.

[Virginia]

BBS, what a great day. As you were talking about sifting your weight back and forth from your back foot to your front and I pictured this in my mind - standing on a board and in water, I got a little dizzy just thinking about it.

[Sunshine]

Well I had a horrid muscle spasm for 20 minutes 3 hours after surfing. I took a tizanadine for it. I will increase Baclofen by 5 mg tonight. It was painful and anxiety provoking. Resting okay now.

I am packed up for an early morning sesh tomorrow. Let's see how this plays out. The driving seems to be the worst part, 50 minutes each way.

At least now I know I can take Tizanidine and it doesn't put me to sleep.

[Sunshine]

BBS, what a great day. As you were talking about sifting your weight back and forth from your back foot to your front and I pictured this in my mind - standing on a board and in water, I got a little dizzy just thinking about it.

The back foot is the brake and the front foot is the gas, in simple terms.when I drop down the wave, I shift the weight to the back foot for a bit so the board doesn't nose dive. So, it's like going down an escalator instead of an elevator is the best way I can describe it.

[Virginia]

Gosh, now it does impress me. I can't go down an escalator. I can go up one. Well, actually I haven't done that in at least a year but I think I could. I have not been down one in years unless someone was holding on to me. That was another symptom that took me to the Doctor when I realized that I could not step on a down escalator.

Keep doing it so you will not loose the ability.

[agate]

I couldn't do the escalator either, the last time I tried, which may have been about 15 years ago (!).

It was the down part that was the problem. I thought it might be a vision problem. Hard to see the edge of the step, and since it's moving, you have to be fast.

I find having to be fast very unsettling.

[Sunshine]

The advantage of the surfing is you just fall into water :)

[agate]

My trusty pedometer must be broken. It's not the battery. Something is wrong with the way it's keeping track of steps. Some days it seems to be accurate, and other days it's way off. It may have been dropped one too many times.

So I've ordered a new one that should be here in a week or so.

Meanwhile I'm still walking and have resumed walking all through the building. Even though I'm out of practice it's surprisingly easy now. The leg-strengthening exercises I've been keeping up with must have helped.

Maybe a pedometer won't last more than a few years? It's had constant use and been dropped entirely too often.