I'm not sure how many sessions this was, but I just paid my bill at the PT place I go to. It was close to $800 (thank goodness my dad pays my credit card bill for me. I stay home and take care of my mom while he's at work)

That was with insurance, but I have a $3500 or $4500 deductible which I dont think I've met yet for the year.

That was the second time I've made a payment with my credit card there. First time was about $300, but that was just after I first started going in February. I usually do about 3 sessions of PT a week. (this week it's just two because I went to the neuro monday during the time I'd usually be PT-ing)

BTW, my neuro, when I told him that I'm doing PT, was thrilled to hear that. He suggests it to a lot of his patients, and not many will do it because of fatigue and not feeling good.

I told him I felt worse laying around feeling MSish, and that it felt better to be moving even tho I sometimes feel like I'm swimming in quicksand. Said that the sooner I get back some more strength that I'll probably be able to move around easier and have more stamina. (hope so!)

I really wish that physical therapy were a cure for MS. That would be nice. I'd do it more often.

Do you have access to a swimming pool? It is the safest place for me to exercise, if I fall I just get wet.

Didn't read all the posts, so, I'm not sure if what I post will be helpful.

I went to PT in 2002, following my first flare, which left me with stroke-like symptoms and extreme dizziness. I was so dizzy that, unless I was lying down in bed, or reclined in a recliner, I was nauseous and often vomitted. For months.

Strength -- Definitely helped with that. Started with what seemed like such insignificant, small exercises, that I was initially pretty skeptical. But, after a week of doing what they told me to do, I saw such marked improvement that I was hooked and quickly remained a very compliant (reliable/did what they told me to) patient.

Dizziness -- My physical therapist had some training, but not experience, in vestibular therapy (for dizziness). She was able to determine what motions seemed to trigger my dizziness. Then, she gave me exercises that would, at my pace and tolerance level, trigger those same dizziness feelings.
I started off doing the exercises for several seconds, multiple times during the day. It helped to re-train my brain to tolerate those movements. And, as I could tolerate them for short periods of time, I gradually increased the time. After several weeks of vestibular therapy, my dizziness (which had been more disabling than the mobility problems related to the stroke-like symptoms) was cured.
For me, what triggered the dizziness (other than not being reclined or prone) was a slight nodding of the head.

Balance -- I didn't ever use PT for that. Balance issues, now, are one of my residual symptoms (always there). For example, I use handrails for stairs. I don't climb ladders, or even step stools, etc. But, balance issues aren't horrible. Unless it's dark (and then my vision issues are also playing into it), or, unless the ground is real uneven, they don't really affect my walking ability.

~ Faith

Thanks for all the ideas and help. We do have a Y here, which might be a good idea for exercise. I see the Neuro on the 20th, so might get a new prescription, and maybe try the other PT place to see how it goes there. The vestibular therapy sounds interesting, as they found, looking up and down triggers me to propel backwards. My balance exercises that are suppose to strengthen my feet and ankles are suppose to train my brain to find new ways to keep my balance. I have a persistent over exageration or overcompensating to bring me back to normal, not sure they can fix that or not. It seems that's not improving yet, maybe takes more time.
I will ask on my next Pt appt to see if anyone has the vestibular training or knows of it.
Good ideas everyone! I really appreciate the encouragement!

Went to my 2nd Therapist yesterday. I saw him a couple of years ago, when I didn't have a dx and told him that they thought it was MS. He said he saw a pretty big change in my strength and walking. He said to work on my leg strength, since my right leg is very much weaker than my left. He says, that's why i feel like I am swaying back and forth when I walk. He also says I am not picking it up at all, and said I might try a leg brace. I am going to get some ankle weights and work on my strength, and see how it goes.
Just wondered why the other therapists wanted me to walk on treadmill for as long as I can, at a pretty fast pace. I think it is throwing me off and causing a lot of my pain, when I walk a lot. Thought it was funny they never said anything about my leg strength...

you need to build up your core muscle strength before you can do the treadmill.

I started PT back in early february, and ended it about a week or two ago. It took me till the last two days of PT before they could get me onto a treadmill. I had to build up all of my muscles in my hips and back and legs before I could get to the treadmill. It took most of february and all of march and most of april to do that. (3 times a week)

Now that I'm done with the PT, I can go to the gym and walk on the treadmill. I've done that every day for the last 8 days (havent gone yet today) and I'm finally feeling better. I still occasionally walk funny, but now I can hold myself up and actually walk. I'm super excited. Last week, I started out only doing 6 or 7 minutes on the treadmill, now I can do 26 minutes, and am really close to walking a half mile.

Back in february, I dont think I could have walked more than 20 feet without having to stop and sit (or fall down)

Are you going to do PT with a physical therapist helping you? or are you trying it on your own? (I couldnt have done it on my own, I'm too lazy by nature to do it without someone poking me in the back with a stick, telling me to get off my butt)

This is an actual Therapist, no assistants here. I am too lazy too, but would like to show some improvement if there is any to be had. When I saw neuro last week, he gave me new prescription to try a new person. I use to have so much energy, I would never sit down. Don't know where my energy went. I hate this!
I am so happy you are doing better Erin! Sounds like you have made great strides!! Wow!!
Am so impressed!
Maybe I need therapy.....

I was ordered PT once by my doc and thought.....yeah, like this will work.
Can't believe how much it helped! Not much they can do for dizzy, but you do need to get yourself strong so you can control your body to the best of your ability.
Weakness and dizzy do not mix! Losing your balance requires a strong body core to safeguard against a bad fall.
My insurance paid for X amount of sessions and then I continued doing some of the exercises at home. I had to buy a couple of aides (exercise bands etc).

Also, I have very mild dizziness that makes it difficult to drive but not too bad to function otherwise. Makes me feel "off balance and out of sync".
Doc has me take .05 (very low) Ativan 3x a day on those dizzy days. It REALLY helps. Neuro told me that it helps many of her patients with the mild dizzy, but did not know exactly why.
Maybe cause we stay so calm through it?

yep, weakness and dizzy are not a good combination. Dizzy and anything is not a good combination. Let's do without the dizziness please.

Today I was a little lazy on the walking. I just got home from the gym. I was hoping to actually hit the half mile mark on the walking, but I only did .44 of a mile today (did .46 the past two days)

I think what kept me from hitting the .50 of a mile, was that I sped up the treadmill at about the 15 minute point to a teeny bit faster. Tired myself out a bit. Oh well, at least I'm consistently walking now. I think I'm allowed to be a little lazy as long as I keep walking. Little afraid to tell my neuro and my regular doctor how much I've been walking every day. They'll both die of shock that I'm actually exercising. The neuro is in his 80s, I dont want to give him a stroke.

What would be cool, would be to lose some weight before I go to see the regular doctor (the one who really nags me about exercising) and freak him out on that.

I did lose 7 pounds between Xmas and the last time I saw that doctor (last week) but I think that's because when I was really bad with that flare, I just didnt want to eat...and havent really gotten the appetite back yet. (stress will do that I guess)

I need to get better walking shoes. Feet are a little sore after 9 days of walking on a treadmill. Think I need to go shoe shopping for some decent sneakers tomorrow.

edited to add:

I got some extra walking in just now. Fire engine and rescue squad went up the street earlier, and my inner 8yr old that loves all things fire engines (and my inner self that loves firefighters) decided to schlep up the hill to see what was going on. So, I walked up the hill...which there and back is probably a quarter of a mile. I actually walked UPHILL and then back down and kind of enjoyed it. I havent walked up that hill for a couple of years (maybe 5yrs, since my dog died) and I wasnt super out of breath when I got back to my front yard. This is the improvement that I've wanted. Being able to go gawk at a neighbor being hauled out of their house on a stretcher up the hill. (ok, not good to gawk, but at least I can walk that distance now)

Maybe now I can go to the zoo later this summer, if it's not 110 degrees in the shade. (hoping for a 65deg day to go there)