Escalators
 

This may sound crazy but I have never really liked escalators. Tonight though my oldest son had to hold me up. I think it is because I lock up my legs because I can not feel my feet, it was a really bad feeling. Anyone ever had this and used a cane? I wonder if that would give me a little more feeling of stability? I used the elevator to go down but it was extremely far away and decided to ride up the escalator to save time.

I don't like escalators.

Many malls that have stores with escalators will also have an elevator.

It is the sense of moving through space and balancing and then coordinating stepping off and on. too much for me to deal with.

the reason it is so difficult is that the messages to and from our brain that pass through our damaged nerves become mixed up.

My legs flash a message to my brain that I'm falling off a cliff, and by the time I even realize what is going on (NOT falling off a cliff, obviously) my body has jerked in reaction to the message (clearly wrong) it has gotten.

AND the adrenaline rush is exhausting.

My brain sees something I should step over or around, and sends the message to my feet and legs. BUT somewhere along the line my feet don't get that right message, and I get tangled up in stuff.

THAT, plus the odd staggering right and left, suddenly.

And of course just moving is exhausting since I have to use thigh muscles and pick up my feet, and watch that I don't trip by stubbing my toe on the smooth floor.

All of that is exhausting and I have to sit down right away and rest. Needless to say I don't do much shopping at malls!

It's a real treat, isn't it?

Hugs, Elaine

That makes sense. If I have to stand still I feel like I am falling. I like the ones who have normal stairs next to them.. Lol

I have always found escalators scary, since I was a child, but my balance has never been good. I use elevators when possible, or hold on to a family member in front of me. A cane helps. I very carefully calculate the stepping off.

When I think back, even as a perfectly healthy child, I was not comfortable with them. Especially the coming off them bit. Of course, it was easy to correct back then, but it always felt weird. I'm wondering if size has something to do with it - I was growing so fast my muscles could not keep up.

Maybe it's because we don't do it often enough to have our brain get used to it? Moving in a car at 70mph isn't natural either, but somehow we get used to that after a while. Like Elaine says, it does send strange messages to our brain.

Even elevators are disconcerting. I always hold on to something when they start up, because a few will jolt a bit, either starting or stopping.

For me it is the STANDING UP, and moving through space that causes the problem. And uncertain movement.

Standing is already a serious difficulty for me....add moving and jolting, and stepping on or off while moving.....not good.

Hugs, Elaine

Oh,as a kid I LOVED escalators. I was a daredevil and very active. Climbing to the top of the tree, hanging by one knee from the top of the jungle gym. Yeah, back in the day.

Walking on the highest wall....climbing rock cliffs, jumping from the highest step.

Everything kids do.

If you have said what you have been diagnosed with I have missed it. Could you share? Thank you.

Hi Wide-O

Yep, even as a healthy child, getting on and off of escalators presents challenges. I used to get panicky getting on and off but loved riding them.

I wanted to be an elevator operator when I was a very young child. I was amazed when I found out they got to ride an elevator all day and got PAID for the fun. By the time I was a teenager, elevator operators were a thing of the past. There went my childhood dream. Now I have a phobia about elevators. HATE being in an elevator now, so I go for the escalator and hope I get on and off without injury.

I do agree that escalators present a physical challenge but my phobia of elevators is even more of a challenge to me these days. I wonder how I went from wanting to ride elevators for a career to now being in fear of them. I guess all it took was a few bad experiences and the topper, ... having learned of a patient being wheeled into an elevator on a gurny in the hospital near my home get killed due to an elevator mishap.

Kitt,

I was originally diagnosed with autonomic and sensory neuropathy. The new neurologist doe not like that diagnosis and wants to do another nerve test, nerve biopsy, and spinal tap. I on the other Hand am not sure about that. Charcot Mrie Tooth is on the table as well. Diabetic, alcohol induced, HIV, and chemo induced neuropathy have all been ruled out.

QUOTE=Kitt;1041308]If you have said what you have been diagnosed with I have missed it. Could you share? Thank you.[/QUOTE]

I forgot to say they him hereditary but not sure from where.

[/QUOTE]

I think escalators and elevators are fun.:)

For those of you with problems with escalators, how do you do with moving walkways? You may not like them either, but to the same degree? As there is no up-down motion, might they be a segue to adapting to escalators?

Doc

I have the same problems judging getting off and on, and I can no longer walk on them, I just stand to the side and let people pass. I cannot use a treadmill either, my podiatrist tried for half an hour to do a gait analysis, but I kept falling, no matter how he adjusted it. I believe this is just an idiosyncrasy of my CMT.

You might find the following article of interest. There are many.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heredit...mic_neuropathy

Moving walkways present problems as well. I do ok if I hang on tight. But there is a sort of wobbling motion. My balance is so terrible that anything sets me off.

If I'm on a elevator I have to hang on when it starts and stops, because sometimes those aren't smooth movements.

After 4 years I'm getting used to taking my PN into account. I'm doing better because I know I need to anticipate, hang on, take time.

I never get out of the car without standing up slowly and then waiting to see if I'm dizzy, if my legs feel ok, and where I'm going to be going next.

The days of just walking around thoughtlessly, just going from place to place quickly are gone. And mostly my grief over that loss is gone too.

I so remember staring up at three flights of stone stairs on Christmas eve as I sat in the car and someone asked, "can you manage those stairs".

"NO, I can't manage those stairs." It was clear, unembarrassed and final.

I am learning!

Hugs, Elaine

I have not been on one for many years, so I don' t really know. I can walk on treadmills but have to hang on. Then when it stops, I have to step off and stand there holding on for a minute or to to reorient myself.

Thanks Kitt, I have extremely high arches, slight hammer toes, extremely week ankles, and can not attempt to try to run. I walk looking down constantly so I know where my feet are. I also get cramps in calves and feet and burning pains in legs. Lately with this stupid cold weather my toes are getting painful cramps. My big toe the other night wouldn't go flat and was stuck. I told my husband I am going to retire on a beach somewhere, too bad I am only 36 so it is still a good 30 years away. Now that I am wishing time would go any faster because I do not want to miss anything with my boys. Sorry that was off the subject.

QUOTE=Dr. Smith;1041749]For those of you with problems with escalators, how do you do with moving walkways? You may not like them either, but to the same degree? As there is no up-down motion, might they be a segue to adapting to escalators?

Doc[/QUOTE]

Some time ago I attended a luncheon where the speaker was probably in her sixties. She began by standing still for a few moments before approaching the podium, and then told her audience, "At my age I find I must stabilize before I can mobilize." We all could identify with her!

Anyone in your family with problems similar to you? You do not have to have high arches, hammertoes, etc. It appears from that article that HSAN 1 includes a type of CMT 2. (Type 2B).

Escalators
 

Me too, I am exactly the same when I go on escalators, especially the ones that form steps. If they go too fast, I don't go on them at all in case I fall. If I am honest I am terrified on them because of my balance issues now.