Greetings! Today is Wednesday, December 2, and it is cold as all $%&*#@ in North Carolina. Spent about an hour outside this morning and, as it was 27 degrees, about froze to death. It’s hard to believe that 27 degrees “feels” so cold… especially when I delivered newspapers in -50+ below windchills growing up in Minnesota. What’s that you say? “Cheese with all this wine (whine)”? Ok ok… story for some other day! 🙂
So, I ran this particular topic past my wife earlier this week and she gave me one of “THOSE” looks. By that, I mean she thought this was kind of a silly topic. Well, balance issues are a big problem for lots of folks with MS, so I’m not sure I understood why I got one of those looks. 🙂 Oh… right! I remember, the example I talked about providing is what caught her attention. She seemed to think it was… not appropriate? Well… it is MY blog after all, so I think the content is really up to me! Right?
Here goes..
As I mentioned, balance is an issue for lots of folks with MS. I’m not sure why. I think it has to do with the loss of Myelin on our nerve endings that causes communication issues between the brain and the rest of the body. Suffice it to say, lots of us have to be careful when walking, jogging or even just standing around. Falls can be tough. Especially as we get a bit older.
The reason balance was on my mind this week is… I had a pretty tough time with… well… guess I’ll just say it… getting my boxers on! There. Said it! Trouble with underwear! 🙂 “Steve” you might say. “How?”, “Why?”, “What in the world?” Well, it’s the truth. Fresh out of the shower, standing in the closet and trying to get my boxers on is… well… difficult and dangerous! I’m using the word dangerous to soften you up and make you feel bad for me, so you can get rid of that awful visual!
Anyway, I prefer to put my under garment on while standing. I don’t want to sit on the bed to do it because, well, even fresh out of the shower… EWWW! 🙂 Or, sitting down on the carpet? Perhaps a bit scratchy also with an appropriate EWWW factor. 🙂 So, I stand in the closet, or on the tile of the bathroom (Slippery so watch out), or the carpet of the bedroom. One foot through one hole of the boxers as they lay on the ground, pull them up a bit… life my other leg to get my additional foot through and WHAM! I almost end up on the floor every time. I tilt to one side or the other. Forward or backwards. Any direction is possible. Luckily, I always seem to be putting on my “Things” next to a wall or cabinet or counter, so there is something to lean into. However, the few times I haven’t been near something… I have come close to some interesting falls. It’s probably just a matter of time.
My adoring wife pointed out, after watching me one-legged jumping around in the closet trying to pull my boxers up while almost falling, I could just grab onto a wall or something. Easier said than done, especially as I usually use both hands to get my boxers up. It is interesting to hear, at times, the easy solutions people who don’t have MS have come up with to make my life easier! I just wish I could think of, or do, those things as suggested, but… I have MS… and it’s not always that easy. 🙂
I have to admit I’m smiling a bit as I write this. The look on my wife’s face as I was stumbling around in the closet was pretty funny. Especially in retrospect! I’m just glad I didn’t smash my face into the wall!
In all seriousness though, balance is a significant issue for many of us. Back in the old days, I may have thought someone who was clumsy was just not paying attention or didn’t have their “head in the game”. One thing I can assure you of these days, if I see something like that… my mind and heart are full of compassion more than anything else. I definitely pause and wonder if it really was just a slip or, perhaps, something a bit more significant. Who knows… it’s not polite to ask… right?
That’s it for today! Hope y’all had a great Thanksgiving and are looking forward December and the many great things that happen later this month!
Talk again soon!
Steve
#oneguywithms
