Sooo I ate the dirt pretty bad last night...

I noticed when I woke up yesterday my gait was very poor, slammed into every doorway I walked thru.

My boyfriend and I were leaving his house last night to go pick up some nasty McDonald's.. he has a landing under the front door with two small steps that lead into a rocked walkway...

So I went to take a step down and my right leg gives out completely on me, couldn't catch myself, so I went tumbling down the stairs and onto the rock.

It hurt soooo bad and I was about to start bawling but started laughing instead. My poor bf came running over and picked me up, he could tell it really bothered me so he cracked a lil joke 'oops, now all my neighbors think I'm drugging you again'. It helped. But it really bothers me. and I am thinking that my body is not going to be able to keep handling all these falls.

And its ALWAYS the right side, so it's bruised up right now, leg, rib cage, elbow and arm. Im going to end up breaking a freaking bone.

So I am wondering if I should call my neuro and have him send a script for a cane? I really don't want to go that route as I am still rather young, but like I said I don't know how many more falls my body's gonna hold up for.

Does the cane help you out when your limb fails on you? or is it just to maintain balance?
Also, is there a different route I could take other than the cane?
I don't like RX drugs so the walking pill is out of the question for me.

Thanks a bunch!

never had a cane. My physical therapist evaluated me with a cane versus a rolling walker and despite me wanting a cane, he was adamant about the walker.

A cane looks cooler, not so geriatric.

But not falling is better than my vanity.

So, let your neurologist decide.

Thank you Aarcyn!!!

I'm kind of scared he will suggest the walker versus cane because it seems the walker will prevent a fall better than a cane.

I don't want to do any of them as I feel that will be enabling the disease. Like hey you win this battle MS because I'm walking with a cane now, and I just don't want to give my mobility up. But like you said not falling is better than vanity... ugh..

thanks again!

I use a cane on my tipsy days, but I must agree, the walker is way safer. Feel better!

Like MS thinks about the mayhem it creates. MS is a disease, it has no memory, do not personify it. (give it human attributes - can you tell I once taught this stuff?)

I've had my shares of falls - went from Canadian crutches to walker to chair, Had a PT who insisted on which brand, insisted I know how to use each before i needed and I had at the ready to use when need changed. Except chair, which was $$ and got when absolutely needed and it took too long really. Now I zoom in my chair, don't fall and can push heavy furniture with my chair. Would I rather walk? Of course. But the use of tools works for me. It gave me more freedom. When the falls happened too often, before I did permanent damge (I bled impressively twice, scared my kids a lot) used my tools.

Not falling is certainly better than falling. Anything that can help prevent a fall is worth it. I use whatever I need to and am now going to get a rollator so that I can go and shop at stores that do not have a shopping cart. It is just way too hard to try and amble around with a cane for that anymore. The rollator will be much better for that particular job.

And, I don't believe that you are enabling your disease. You are just trying to protect yourself. Do whatever it takes. And yes, it's hard to have to use a cane or a rollator at any age but I have to keep moving safely. Take care.

You can opt for the cane with three or four legs. Jim had that one and it worked better than a regular cane. Here's my tip to you. Get the cane or go buy a cheap one at Walgreen's to give it a try. Take some paint and paint it to your hearts desire. Make it cool for you. In no time people will be fascinated by your cane more so than the fact your using it. Jim also used Canadian crutches but let me just say, when you fall with those it's a tangled mess.

Good advice SandyC. A three or four legged cane is much more stable. I should get one instead of the one I have. And a cheap one is great. That's what mine is although it is a nice mottled kind of blue and it was cheap. They also had red. And I know that they do have three or four legged ones as well. The brand on this one is Carex. I bought it at WalMart. The handle is also nice and cushy - not hard like the first one I had. Thanks SandyC.

I remember when I was too young for a cane, but used it one day shopping, when this darling child nudged his Momma and wispered loudly, "My Gramma has one just like that"
I was so imbarrassed, I put it away and kept on stumbling for awhile longer.

Then I got a superduper rollator with a seat and a basket. I flew around shopping and loved it. Everywhere I went, everyone of all ages wanted one.

I have a cane I haven't had to use in several years (knock on wood) but when I needed assistance, a walker with a seat would have helped me out so much more.

If I get to that point again, I'll likely get a motorized scooter because when I do need assistance, I need it in a really bad way.

I used to be envious of those with power chairs when my walking was bad because walking took so much out of me, and I felt like I would have been better off if I could have sat down and saved energy for all of my other tasks.

I hope this will be temporary but if not, you know that there's a wide variety of tools to help you out there.