Walking
I’m a frequent faller, its a fact of life
I’m a frequent faller, its all because I have multiple sclerosis. My left leg is the culprit, I have drop foot and drop leg. It must have started sometime in the 1990’s, my diagnosis was in 1996. What started as an occasional trivial event now has a major impact on my life. At first the […]
Using a wheelchair, do I need L-plates
Using a wheelchair sounds really easy. Self propelling wheelchairs have much bigger rear wheels which have push-rims fitted to them. Now I can move the chair myself and be independent. Well, that all sounds super easy. Mind you there are problems being a wheelchair user that had not crossed my mind until I started to use […]
Poor balance and mobility makes walking difficult
I have poor balance and mobility so I use a mobility scooter. I remember in 2012 when medical retirement arrived I could easily lift my mobility scooter onto a train and I did not need a walking stick either. Those were carefree days, now long gone. Nobody told me how my life would change in […]
I attempt a stupid walking challenge, only 100 Km
Earlier this year I tried a stupid walking challenge, only a mere 100 Km over 10 months. I have used an FES for over six years, it helps my walking. A year ago I completed a one hour walk. At the end I was exhausted but it was deeply satisfying especially as I raised over […]
Broken skin: my Functional Electrical Stimulation story
MS affects my left leg and I have been using an FES since late 2014. For the previous 10 years I had used a Musmate a simple mechanical device that is a walking aid for foot-drop. My foot-drop and leg-drop mean that I cannot walk unaided and I walk very slowly. My Functional Electrical Stimulation […]
With MS I now move like a tortoise slow but steady
As I move forward through time, ticking off the years, multiple sclerosis has an ever growing impact upon my life. Nowadays I must always have one hand holding onto something firm and stable. The happy days of nipping upstairs or popping next door are history. Now everything must be carefully considered. I now move like […]
I’m a lucky guy Fampridine works for me
I take Fampridine and use an FES or Functional Electrical Stimulator, they both improve my quality of life. I can only walk with a rollator and it is agonisingly slow. Without them I would have to use a wheelchair. OK. my left leg is useless courtesy MS but I do have an excellent right leg. […]
The day I walk for one hour
Its a wonderful September day. Warm enough to wear shorts but not so hot to become a shade seeking missile. Three months of preparation and I had one hour to prove that I could do it. Yup, Sunday 13th September was the day when I was going to walk for one hour and you had […]
I’m planning a sponsored walk #Walk4onehour
Lockdown and my world is changing. Still no one knows anything about the future. I knew I had to get out of the house and take some exercise to maintain my mental health plus I needed a goal. A sponsored walk. Perhaps I could organise it and do it, this would tick so many boxes. […]
I must ensure exercises become a routine activity
18 April 2020. The coronavirus lock down started at the end of March. Our lives were then thrown into chaos. Everyone had to find a new routine, a new rhythm and this includes me. I made a simple promise to myself. I need to take more exercise and I must ensure the exercises become a […]
Some of my MS disabilities are invisible
Multiple sclerosis rules my life. Even when I think I am on the home run it will stick out a tentacle and trip me up. You too as well I guess. I have obvious disabilities such as walking, in fact I cannot walk unaided. Some of my MS disabilities are invisible. People will not know […]
MS Society introduces the 1 Km walk
Sport is an area of society in which ableism is seen only too often. Finally the society is embracing people with progressive MS and mobility issues in a positive way. Eventually the MS Society introduces the 1 Km walk It is only within the last ten to fifteen years that Western society recognises athletes with […]
After finishing the MS-SMART drug trial
I was a participant in the MS-SMART drug trial. If you look back over the blogs I wrote while I was on the trial my MS didn’t seem to get worse. A big question comes was after finishing the MS-SMART drug trial. Was I on a placebo, a treatment with no active therapeutic effect, or did the […]
Walking round the supermarket with a trolley
When I started taking Fampridine the physiotherapist was insistent that I take more exercise. I mentioned that I go to the supermarket every day and do the shopping on The Trike (3 wheel light-weight mobility scooter). Her eyes lit up, “I know what you can do” she said. “This is an idea. Walking round the supermarket […]
My MS clock has gone back a couple of years
I started taking Fampridine just over a couple of weeks ago. Yes, YEs, YES it really has worked. Right now I’m not too sure if my walking speed has increased sufficiently to receive the drug beyond the trial period. That it will be a bummer. Put walking speed to one side then so many other […]
Will Fampridine improve my quality of life
The physiotherapists at Queens Square neurological hospital offered me Fampridine in the summer of 2017. I knew that Fampridine also known as Fampyra could improve my walking speed. Sadly it doesn’t make the process any safer. None the less I reckoned it was worth trying out. Will Fampridine improve my quality of life When I […]
MS society walk
On Sunday, 24 September I went to Battersea Park in London to take part in the MS society walk. I left the house at a 8:45, caught the train to Euston and arrived at the start just after 11. I had hoped to be there earlier. Getting to Battersea Park from Euston station by public […]
Can I walk at least six kilometres
On 24th September 2017 the MS Society is organising a sponsored walk called ‘Together we walk’. On their website they state ‘This September hundreds of MS Superstars, our friends and families, will join forces in London to take in the sights and raise funds to stop MS. Will you join us?’ Can I walk at […]
Capability for Work questionnaire
Every once in a while the postman delivers a letter and I think ‘Uh oh this could be trouble’. On the front of this letter in big black letters I was told ‘IMPORTANT INFORMATION THIS IS NOT A CIRCULAR’ and it was ‘PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL’. The really important clue was the sender, printed on the back […]
Another sponsored walk
Well it’s another year and I am starting to think about one of my annual challenges. I like to have challenges. They have to be achievable and put me outside of my comfort zone. So time for another sponsored walk. The right distance In 2015 I had tried to walk a mile with my rollator […]
What would I like returned to me by Multiple Sclerosis?
What would I like returned to me by Multiple Sclerosis? I’m talking about basic abilities, ones I have lost for ever. The list is far too long to bore you. In my dreams there is only I would like back. I’m sure it’s something lots of people take for granted. Right now I am really […]
Red Telescopic Anti-Shock Hiking Walking Stick
This is a simple and sturdy Red Telescopic Anti-Shock Hiking Walking Stick. It is telescopic so you can also use it as a walking pole. It has a non slip handle that means it is easy to hold it as a walking stick. There is strap that you can put round your wrist so you cannot […]
Every morning its four sticky FES electrodes
Every morning its four sticky FES electrodes. I must put them on my left leg. Two go onto my thigh and two go just below the knee. I started using the FES two years ago in December 2014. I estimate that I have taken the sticky electrodes off about 720 times and put them back […]
WorldvsMS challenge and The Amsterdam HACK
The WordvsMS campaign is an initiative that had been setup to give a voice to people with Multiple Sclerosis. The campaign has asked people with MS to list their challenges in everyday life. Three challenges were accepted from 103 that were submitted A weekend in mid-November was selected when groups of people were invited to […]
I had a wonderful sailing holiday
I had a wonderful sailing holiday Earlier this year in 2016 I had a wonderful sailing holiday. Click HERE to read about it. I signed up to go sailing with the JST (Jubilee Sailing Trust) on the Lord Nelson. It was a six day trip from Southampton to France and back to Southampton. Help me […]
Walking is sensible exercise
Walking is sensible exercise. It is gentle, and it is low impact. It’s simple and effective. Even better, its free. Sensible exercise is about increasing your general activity and finding things to do that you enjoy. OK, I know that some of you can’t walk, it must be so frustratng. I can’t walk unless I […]
The FES Really Changed My Life
The FES really changed my life. I am quite sure it was the Functional Electrical Stimulator otherwise known as an FES. Originally fitted in December 2014. I immediately stopped falling over with monotonous regularity. Instead I stayed upright, it changed my life for the better . So many people commented that I looked better and […]
Essential Extras For The Topro Troja Rollator
The Topro Troja rollator is a reliable walker if you have difficulty with balance Maybe you find walking difficult or struggle carrying items such as a plate of food. I have used these rollators for several years. I’m a happy customer. I am going to tell you about some essential extras for the Topro Troja […]
Were There Any Benefits Doing The MS Mile?
Were the any benefits walking the MS mile? Definitely! On the 9th September I walked the MS mile. Definitely YES 🙂 I raised just over £ 1,700 for the Chilterns MS Therapy Centre I proved to myself I could walk three quarters of a mile even with a rollator :-)) Taking exercise on a regular basis, […]
Two channel FES
I was fitted with a single channel Functional Electrical Stimulator (FES) in mid December. Sixteen weeks later, at the end of March I was upgraded to a Two Channel FES. The original FES is only able to stimulate one muscle; the new one can stimulate two muscles. The original FES stimulates the muscle to lift the front of the foot. […]
FES, 4 weeks later
I was fitted with a Functional Electric Stimulator (FES) in December 2014. No expectations FES has changed my life but not in ways that I was expecting. Actually I did not really have any expectations. I had not done any research into it; at times I’m so idle. I was only getting one fitted because […]
Walking is 28% Faster with an FES
This is a big question. Can I walk faster with an FES or Functional Electrical Stimulator? How can an FES help me to walk faster? Will it help me? In my previous post about FES I explained how this gadget should help me with my walking. My second visit to the National Hospital for Neurology […]
FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation)
I have foot drop and it has got progressively worse over the last 10 years. FES my new walking aid Foot drop is a paralysis or muscular weakness that makes it very difficult to lift the front part of your foot and toes. It can also be called drop foot. It can cause you to drag your […]
Yes I Agree, Exercise is Good For MS Sufferers
Lots of learned people are now saying that exercise is good for MS sufferers and yes I agree. I have always thought that exercise is good for you. On what basis can I back up this obvious statement for MS sufferers? A bit of background Our Golden Retriever, Tonks, did something to one her knees […]
MuSmate a walking aid for foot drop
I have foot drop in my left leg. When the problem started to be an issue I used the MuSmate a walking aid for foot drop. It stops me dragging my toes along the ground and tripping me up. Without the mechanical elastic device called a Musmate I could fall over very easily when walking. The […]
Beaumont Leg Rest to get the weight off your feet
Beaumont Leg Rest is a smart stool to use to rest your legs. Use it when your feet feel tired. Its sturdy and it has variable height adjustment between 38.5 cm and 53.5 cm Put your feet up in comfort and relax so you can enjoy a rest at any time of the day. It […]
