Hi Everyone
Haven’t been on here for a while as I was visiting family (in Devon!) for 10 days. The travelling (by train and Tube from London) was certainly challenging, even with help from friends and assisted travel on the train. It’s taken me 4 days so far to begin getting over it. It was a nice break, but one of the sadnesses is that I discovered I couldn’t do what I had done last year. I’ve been going there once a year for the last 7 years, and for the last 4 years there has been a noticeable difference in what I could do.
This year, for the first time, I couldn’t get down to the beach, as it’s a long slope. Even with my stick I couldn’t manage it, which was sad. My normal walking too was noticeably slower and I couldn’t walk more than 10 mins at a stretch. The family commented on it.
A month ago I saw my Neuro who ordered another MRI scan of the lumbar spine - I had this on 8 June & still awaiting results. I also saw my GP today, as since last October I’ve had numbness in my left leg, ankle, foot & toes, and what I guess is dropped foot as my ankle is weak and goes over to the side. Whilst away I was wearing an elastic ankle support, but it didn’t help much. I mentioned it to my GP today & asked if a physio assessment would help, so he has filled in a referral form.
Another problem is that I can’t have a proper bath 'cos I don’t have the strength in my legs to get out. I don’t have a shower. My GP had requested an OT assessment last December for me, but now, 7 months later, I’ve still heard nothing.
It seems at the moment that it’s all a case of waiting, waiting, waiting, but it’s frustrating that all the time I’m in more pain and the leg weakness is getting worse. At my Neuro appointment he commented that if the MRI of the lumbar spine didn’t show up anything he may be tempted to think about muscle disease because of the level of weakness and discomfort.
After nearly 5 years I’m at the point where I don’t really mind what it is, as long as I know the cause and get some help with management. Limboland is so very very hard.
Sorry that this is long - everything seems to have been a long haul recently. Thanks, as always, for reading this, and for your support. I appreciate it.
Bren x