I've been tipping over more lately. No, it's not alcohol related. As my core muscles weaken, I am less able to hold my body upright without additional support. If I am directly vertical, I am, in general, okay. But if I move slightly off center, particularly forwards or backwards, I can tip over rather rapidly, especially if I have nothing to hold on to.
This morning Katherine came in to give me a hug as I sat on the edge of the bed. She leaned in slightly and I started to topple backwards. I made that fearful wheeze you make when you suck in air quickly. I grabbed the M-rail to stabilize myself. I held on tightly to her with my other hand. I did not fall, but I felt like I might.
A similar thing happened when I was making the transfer to my wheelchair from the couch last night. In order to make this transfer, I first slide myself forwards from the couch onto the long, leather bench that I use as both a footstool and pseudo coffee table. Then, once seated on the bench I position the transfer board so that one end is under my butt and the other end is on the edge of my wheelchair seat. It's a slight uphill climb on the board, a small slope from me to my chair; I have to tip myself ever so slightly sideways to get onto the board. In doing that tip, I started to fall sideways. I grabbed the bench and held myself up, doing that whole sucking in air out of fear noise again.
Then there was the wheelchair transfer on Thursday where Katherine helped lift me from a temporary chair at the wheelchair shop, into my own chair. She lifted and I almost fell forward. Once again, sucking noise and panicked grabbing for a hand hold. Once again, racing heart and fear.
The odd thing is that I can still sit upright. As long as I manage my center of balance I'm fine. It's just when I begin to lose that balance, lose that center point, that I begin to go over. The complete fall has happened a couple of times; once at my Mom's while I was visiting last summer, once on the bench where I landed on the couch, a few times on my bed where I have simply allowed myself to fall backwards rather than fight it.
Balance is a tough thing to keep, both physically and emotionally. I would be nice if I could have at least one of those two on a consistent basis,
What would happen if you lifted arm weights? Some people say you shouldn't stress the muscle, other people say use the muscle. I would say use the muscle and defy it. Even if they say you can't defy it, there is always the exception.
ReplyDeleteMuscles which no longer function cannot be worked.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought. But I still think if they are working now, they are viable. They may simply need to be used more. Maybe those nerves or muscles will not be affected, despite what is the norm. Operate on exception to the rule.
ReplyDeleteI'm not being rude Lucille, but I don't think you understand the wasting muscles that are a part of ALS. They can't be worked...they can't be improved...there is no use it or lose it.It is simply lose it!
ReplyDeleteI'm not being rude Lucille, but I don't think you understand the wasting muscles that are a part of ALS. They can't be worked...they can't be improved...there is no use it or lose it.It is simply lose it!
ReplyDelete