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Living with PN, do you find yourself retreating from life?
Neuropathy | Last Active: Mar 5 10:44am | Replies (144)Comment receiving replies
Hello,
My falls, too, have always involved some "other something," never, in my case, a glob of bisque or a 16-pound dog, but nevertheless, it's always involved some "other something." The "other something" involved in my last fall was a broken dish. I'd successfully swept up and tossed into the trash the majority of the shards, and was bending over with a tiny brush to whisk into a pan the last of the fragments––and THUD! down I went. Other than my ego, I hadn't injured myself. However, realized immediately that I'd fallen because I'd momentarily stopped talking to my body's internal gyroscope, the mechanism that––if I oay it strict attention 24/7––I'll avoid "surprise" falls. (I suppose all falls are "surprise" falls, aren't they?) Since PN stole my youthful good balance, I've had to resort to talking to body with more care anddeliberation than I ever had to in years past: talking to my feet, my akles, my knees, my hips, my center of balance, the position of my head, on and on and on, to every mobile part of me. Doing this demands a level of concentration that, until PN, was wholly unknown to me, and now that I live with PN all day, every day, I can find quite exhausting.
Ray (@ray666)
Replies to "Hello, My falls, too, have always involved some "other something," never, in my case, a glob..."
@ray666
Quietriver: Good morning Ray. lad to hear you at leased took the time to see what your inatention was that caused the fall. Several years ago now my balance was so bad I couldn't turn without falling. I started with the eyes and ears. I took a couple pillows and threw on the floor incase I did a nose dive. Then went down onto my knees. Bent my body forward and started moving in a circle both ways, When I was able to do that I started moving and body in circles as I improve my balancr I started rolling my eyes and that inproved I started rolling the another direction that the head and the body in another direction that the head.I found my brain head, eyes and body just wasn't coordinated. It took a couple weeks to get everything to work in different directions. I started with 15 mine and went to 30. To help things along I started rolling my eyes while watching Tv. moving to things at different distances ad do it slow enought that the eyes focus on every thing. This is excelent training for the eyes on focusing diferent things faster as you change distances, It even helps you when driving as you will use your prefixal vision that is while looking streight ahead you are also becoming aware of everything that is coming from the side allowing you to look and decide if it is safe. To check your side vision I use one finger starting at the ear I find My side vision is just forward of my ear. and I pay attention to it. I learned to do that while training to be a Motorcycle Officer many years ago and it saved my life many times. So I still do it today when walking or driving. I don't ride much anymore but still enjoy it as it helps my balance but incase of a mistake the heeling is alot slower. enjoy brother Ray and keep building yourself up.
Connect
@ray666 Hi, Ray - Yeah, I don't think anyone outside of experiencing PN can appreciate the exhaustion that the constant deliberation and concentration (great words, there!) can exact on a person. All part of the bargain, but it does tend to isolate a person, at least emotionally. At the same time, I don't believe anyone should feel any shame in this. It is how our bodies respond to living to an age for which we were not necessarily prepared. Here where I live, short courses are offered in ways to prepare for, say, selecting an assisted living facility, or for deciding on long-term care insurance, or for preparing a trust, or for planning a funeral, or for leaving a will, documenting a healthcare power of attorney, or for choosing an executor ~ but not for the 24/7/365 hour-by-hour attentiveness needed to keep oneself standing or seated by plan. There is a lot of great advice on Connect about researching what works for some, for staying educated about PN, and for sharing our interconnectedness in our challenges. I'm thankful for the comments and testimonies. Prayers that we all stay safe and well! Barb