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~Time for a Life Update~
It's been a minute since I've popped in and given a good life update. Let's start with the first physical therapy session.
IT WAS AWESOME!!!
It was this MS'ers very own "Special Olympics"
Let me be straight here. When I was first referred to physical therapy, it was back in July of 2017 - the very day I was diagnosed with MS and both my neurologist and I met and formed a relationship centered around managing and this condition. I was referred to St. Lukes, which out here is considered one of the best rehab centers in the Pac Northwest.
She referred. Nothing happened. No one contacted me for 6 months.
I said "F-it" - I work out 5 days a week already. I've made it this far, I'll do it on my own.
In the 6 month follow-up, Mom and I let the neurologist know we had never been contacted by St. Lukes.
She referred, yet again.
A couple of months later, I was contacted by St. Lukes and the lady told me they would need to contact my insurance company before the set up an initial appointment. Many weeks later, I was sent an approval for physical therapy for 10 weeks or so between a specific time period. However, by the time the letter had arrived, part of the time period had already passed.
I said, "bullsh*t, I'm not playin' this game and I'm not wasting the quality of my life on this nonsense. I'm just gonna keep doing it on my own." I tossed the letter in the trash and that was the end of it as far as I was concerned.
During this year's follow-up appointment, the neurologist felt my balance needed work and brought up the physical therapy b.s I explained what happened and was adamant about not wasting the quality of my life jumping through those kinds of hoops. Especially since I'm 75 lbs down, still work out 5 days a week, and this body is very OBVIOUSLY benefitting from my own brand of "rehab".
As for the "balance"? The assessment is questionable. She had me do the exercise where you have to walk in a straight line, putting one foot in front of the other, as if I were on a balance beam. That's actually a tough one for most able-bodied people to do, much less a person who can't feel their feet. I practice Hatha yoga 1-2 times a week and I can stand on one leg, while holding on the other, with the alternate arm held straight up in the air (like I'm trying to touch the ceiling) for a good minute without losing balance or letting go of the leg I'm holding.
In the "balance world" that's perty darn good folks :-)
Anyhow, the neurologist said we would "re-visit" the topic again when I hit the deductible on my insurance.
Well, I guess she was serious this time, because a week or so after the deductible on my insurance was hit, I got a call from St. Lukes and an appointment was made for an initial eval and session. I had to reschedule it, because I had contracted that darned flu. But, a week ago last Friday and 2 years AFTER my MS diagnosis, I finally got some physical therapy.
Only, I passed the eval with flying colors. The physical therapists even stood me on one of those cushy balancing pads and had me try to stand with my eyes closed without falling off for 30 seconds, and I did it. I stood on one leg for 30 seconds for both these legs and walked that balance beam strut like a friggin gymnast going FORWARD AND BACKWARD!
I got a lot of smiles and was told I was an "over-achiever". LOL - No sweeter words. I worked damn hard to master that kind of steadiness. Two years worth of hard, a lot of research, and 2 legs that went from a walker to a cane.
So, yeah they chuckled and said, "Your neurologist did indeed refer you for balance issues, but the things is, you have great balance!"
I laughed and said, "Listen, I know she probably told you I push myself hard." One of the gals started giggling and said,
"actually, she wrote exactly that statement in her referral to us." I smiled, and replied "I do push hard, but I am VERY mindful. There is not a workout I do where I don't petition the universe I get through it unharmed or uninjured."
We went on to talk about the bouts of neurological fatigue I've had and how I deal with those episodes. I let them know when this body's telling me it can't move or feels like it wants to collapse, I make damn sure I rest. Honestly, I don't have a choice. Neuro-fatigue in MS really can impact one's ability to move or coordinate and there's nothing a person with the condition can do about it, because it's not a muscular thing. It's the brains inability to communicate properly to the muscles what they need to do or feed the electrical impulses quickly or intensely enough. When that comes on, if I don't rest or get to bed in time - I'll just collapse and that's the way it works.
And, pushing the body hard can bring that on, but guess what? Those episodes can come on regardless. The Central Nervous System is fickle when it's been damaged.
Anyhow, I further let them know I didn't think we needed to waste these sessions. I said, "let's take what I have and expand on it. I'm already doing that in my strength training workouts. They heartily agreed. So, that is where we have begun.
I do have weaknesses, and one of those we have discovered is in my glutes. I'm what they call "quad heavy", because I better feel those muscles contract and release so it's less challenging for me to work them and thus rely on them readily. However, I don't have great sensation in my butt or abdomen. There are pros, if I'm ever spanked - I honestly won't feel it. the skin is fine, I feel pressure, but the sensation is dead. I can't even feel a hard pinch all that well if at all in certain places, LOL.
However, when the brain can't feel or sense certain areas of the body, it has a tough time consciously accessing the muscles in that area if that makes sense? I can't even feel my glutes contract fully, even when I'm consciously contracting them. So, first order of the was trying to find exercises where my quads weren't taking over, and this was not easy.
We went with squats in the end, because as all of us strength trainers know, if you're using the right form and genuinely trying to "find the seat" when you go to squat - those glutes are going to engage automatically. I've been relying more on my quads than my booty to do my squats so we worked on that for a while in this last session.
And, can I just tell you - if I wasn't able to feel the muscles in my a$$ before, I can feel them now for sure.
I did them again today during the resistance training workout using the 17 lb kettle bell. I did 3 sets 8 and OH MY LAMB!!! Because, I'm doing them this way (which, is the correct way), I'm now working muscles I haven't work and DEFINITELY FEELING IT. Which, is saying something since I don't have much feeling in my butt. LOL. And, I'm actually very thankful for the muted pain factor at the moment. Thank God, there are some benefits to MS.
This is actually one of the first times in a long time where your's truly was walking slow and measured with the cane post workout due to genuine normal muscle soreness, NOT just the typical MS muscle fatigue.
But, ya know it's all good. In fact, it's the kinda pain ya want to have and as sore as I feel, it makes me happy! LOL. Besides, Imma get me a nice strong booty out of this, hehehe. Maybe, it won't be able to feel how strong it is, but hey - a strong booty is a strong booty - and we'll take it! :-)
Anyhow, things are going perty darn well. Booty soreness aside, we're still hangin' strong. I had my 2400 cal day on Friday, but I'm still going to weigh in tomorrow and do a weigh in on Monday morn. I may post both on FS just to keep track of the fluctuation. There's definitely going to be some lactic acid build up, water retention, and inflammation from the workout, but that's how we get'er done and increase that muscle mass.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.
I'll check in tomorrow {{Hugs and Love}}
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