This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Mon AM- Water 45 min
Mon PM- Bowflex

Tues AM- Land gait training 45 min
Tues PM- Bowflex

Wed AM- Water 45 min
Wed PM- Bowflex

Thurs AM-Water 45min
Thurs PM- Bowlflex

Fri AM- Land gait training 45 min
Fri PM-Bowflex

This is my PT schedule until the 1st week of June. Remember, we are trying to have me walking without my cane for the 25 foot walk by June and by September maybe we can stop with the cane all together.

Hey Chris,
What type of exercises do you do for the "Land Gait Training" ?

Chris..

Anything he can think of. I start by incline biking for 12 minutes, then we stretch, then we go to the parallel bars where he has me work on walking, walking side to side, I stand on these little flat air filled balls to build the muscles and work on balance. On other days we do strengthening exercises will a balance ball.

The pool I do a large portion of muscle toning and walking on the underwater treadmill. The first 5 minutes of walking is spent trying to walk w/o holding the bars, the next 10 is spent walking as fast as I can on the treadmill even if I have to hold on.

The part people don't get is recovery from MS is a ton of work. Some of these people on here would get this treatment then be pissed that they didn't magically get better.

How bout you? Hows your going? Hows recovery going?

I'm doing ok. I am at a stable point now. no better, no worse. MRI shows shinkage of one lesion. All others are non active. Got 9 month Doctors appt. tomorrow.

I am doing allot of exercises on the bowflex and balancing exercises on an air filled disc I stand on. I ride my recumbant bike for 15 min twice a day. still get tired in the afternoon but not fatigue.

All is stable for me. allot of spasticity though. use my cane more now then after tratment but I understand why. got to wait for my body to catch up with brain. 12 years of MS and Steroids is hard on the body. I will update more after doctors appt.

Chris..

Good luck to you both. I had an appointment last Monday to get started and working on building strength. Well I became gainfully employed again at an employer that knows all about my MS and is cool with extended rest periods and things like that, so I cancelled it. I need to call back and reschedule, but after an 8 hour day, I am so wiped out there's no way I could do anything meaningful. Maybe I'll get laid off again . OK, that was in poor taste considering the plight of so many (including me until last Monday). Trust me that is 150% a joke.

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http://myhopefuljourneyintoactualmsreco ... ogspot.com

It's all good Lew, some of us actually have a sense of humor and actually don't get offended easily lol!

Hey Chris...I'm more spastic now then the first two months after the treatment as well but I am better in a ton of other places but it's nice to know we are all following the normal process of recovery.

Gees, can you believe we can even say that?

To Chris and Chris:

You guys are good!!! I won't start PT officially, but I took my first "walk" without my cane 2/3 of the way down the block- paying very careful attention to my gait. On the way back my right leg was so stiff, I couldn't bend it and my ankle had seized up. My husband tried with all his might to "unhinge" it, but to no avail. No to mention the new stiffness in my calf muscles of late. Left leg could have done much more. This was only after 5 minutes!! I really applaud both of you!! Of course, I will do it again today, too.

Go to a pool and walk in it. It's the best thing you can do for the first three months to get your body used to walking again. I promise!!!!! The pool is doing wonders for me.

Wish I could. My schedule is really tight because the kids are high-needs and the overtime Rod does at work. By the time I got to the pool I'd have to practically come home.

I am hoping that PT will be set up soon to come to the house and work with me, at least for the 20 sessions insurance allows- I hope it is better than nothing.

Well, to maximize the efficiency I would have them set up all appointments for 3 weeks apart and make sure they are giving you homework to do. Then you are not using it all up at one shot.

I have only been back in Rehab for 3 weeks and stuff is starting to stick.

Can't you go to the pool even on a Saturday or a Sunday morning? I am sure half the reason stuff is sticking is because my body can do things the right way in the water where on land that darn gravity is fighting me. When I get out of the water, and rest up, the rest of my day I actually am better for a good chunk of it. They tell me it will stick the whole day sooner rather than later. It's why we do it three times a week and the land based stuff 2 times.

Make Rod watch the kids!!! Does he want you better??? lol

Thanks Chris,

I probably could get to the local Y on a weekend. Would just walking laps in a pool be enough, or replicating the land exercises the PT gives me at home in the water? I've always been a terrible swimmer.

Yes, Rod does want me to get better. And, I'm pretty sure he would be happy to see me get to a pool. But, I think that it is kind of easy for him to discount how much I am struggling because I am still able to contribute, even with this level of disabilty, so much around the house. Though, it has been harder of late. Even driving was tougher yesterday. My leg felt like 50 pounds moving it from the gas to the brake.

Well the aqua therapy seems to be where my rehab sticks most. All you really need to do is walk in the 4 foot end. If you do not have balance issues like I do you may even want to venture out a bit from the wall to work on balance.

Ask the PT people if you could do aqua therapy with them. They will give you stuff to do that you could do in the pool alone. I would go 5 days a week but the land based stuff is important as is the time to rest. Seriously, you may only be able to handle 2 times per week at first. As you get stronger so will your endurance.

The PT people are really happy with how I am doing so far. Stuff is sticking. I'm tired but in a good way.

My sister has had MS for over a5 years and lives in the Dayton area. We are looking for a facility where she can do her water exercises without getting over heated. Too many of the pools, etc keep the temperature to high and she's so fatigued, she can't get out of the water...

The pool I use is 95 degrees. It's perfect.