so therapy’s over. They were 9 well spent hours each of PT and OT. The Shepherd Center and those who work there are amazing (I say this from my personal experience and I’ve heard stories from other people). Anyone out there reading this who is living with MS in the Atlanta area, if you can afford to wait the 2 month waiting period to get in, do it. U won’t regret it and it’s well worth the wait. There’s also an MS Wellness program that I’d love to join but alas all the sessions/classes offered happen during the day so I can’t join. I was discharged 2 weeks ago but both therapists told me to do things on my own for a couple months and then come back. So that’s what I’ll continue to do until my insurance company puts their foot down.
The very first PT visit started with an evaluation that included a 6 minute walking test and at the end of those 6 minutes, I’d taken 153 steps. During the last session, we reevaluated and in those same 6 minutes, I took 225 steps. I also tested better in some of the strength tests that Ian had done before. Yay!! Improvement is great although i eh go lie, a little part of me was thinking that maybe it was just a better day for me plus the day before had been leg day in the gym – hmmmm…there’s that “glass half empty” person I know. At the end of the reevaluations Ian said, “well. U have 20 more minutes…anything special u want to do?” I eyed the Alter G…it was calling my name. Admittedly, I did much better in it too. The first time, I could only walk at a speed of .3 with some issues and on the last day I was at .4 with no issues. So it’s over for now, back in it sometime in 2018.
ive never been part of an MS support group or attended any meetings/support sessions. One time years ago, I enrolled in a 6 week wellness class that had been sponsored by the MS society and it just so happened that every single person in the class had MS. I must say it was good to be around people who knew and understood what I was going thru. Some of us tried to keep in touch after but that eventually fizzled to nothing. Rebecca (OT) suggested that I become a part of the support group that meets at Shepherd. They meet on the 2nd Saturday of every month so I went last Sat morning. Two interesting things happened.
* At some point in our discussion -it was only 7 of us, 4 of whom had a neurological disease and I was the only one with MS – the leader of the group said that she could hear it in my voice. Eh? That was a first…well she was referring to the tremor that I mehself sometimes hear. She went as far as to say that had we been talking on the phone, she would have thought that I had MS. Apparently she’s heard the same tremor from multiple MS patients…go figure!
* I met someone who hooked me up with contacts to start my new medication regimen – that of the alternative kind. Ever since medicinal marijuana became legal for some diseases (MS included) in GA, I’ve been telling myself to look into it and I have but I’ve also been dragging my feet (no pun intended). Well this chick was there who strongly advocated for its uses (she herself uses some products to manage her disease) and I knew that I had to stop stickin. I’ve left messages for both my doctors so that hopefully at least one of them will be willing to put me on the registry and I will be on the way. The company to which she referred me makes CBD oil products to be ingested as well as topical massage oils and lotions. I’ve already spoken to the owner…more to come on that.
alright…well I gone so. allyuh do have a great weekend!
P.S. – One of my calls was returned. the MSCA is not participating in anything related to medicinal marijuana so they won’t add me to the registry. fingers crossed that my primary care doctor will or else i’ll hadda figure something out.
