I was thinking of starting on a recumbent bike, but I get terrible spasms in my hip flexors. I suppose they may be too tight. I'm also interested in weight training. I guess I ought to have an evaluation by a personal trainer here to see what he/she suggests. I know I need to tone up my arms. I used to be much stronger than I am now.

I wish we lived closer also. I don't know where you live, but it is obviously not too close.

Thank you for the tips. I'm going to look into finding a trainer who has worked with people with MS. How would one find such a person? I suppose the MS Centre I go to may have some recommendations. Are you registered anywhere?

I live VERY close to her.

really check out the person. get their credentials and ask for references that you can call. make sure they have their own insurance. the younger the trainer..the less likely that they have ever worked with anyone with helped issues. or done actually rehab.

the ms center is a good start. smaller local gyms. many have older clientel and aren't the hard body type of gyms.

when you use a recumbant bike, your reach should be until almost stiff kneed. start with 5 minutes. boy howdy do i know how hard it is not to just be gung ho and over do it.

work on the hip flexers sowly. before you get out of bed. bringing your knee to your chest ( or as far up as you can ) and hold. then just relx. a few every day. then work on bringing your knee to the side of your chest.

i have never registered with the ms center, but i have many chiro's and dr's in the area who send hubby & i patients. hubby has many clients with parkinson's and fibro. absolutly amazing results. one man had never been upstairs in house. after a few months with hubby, this christmas he took friends on a tour of his upstairs. shocked his wife when she found them all up there.

i am just spitting distance from julie. same town.

texas...dfw area.

Thank you, Yappy. I am going this week to my MS Centre to get my MRI before I restart Tysabri. They have several P-T's working there, so I may just ask one of them if they know of a trainer who could work with me, or at least give me some recommendations for a work-out. Now, I'm getting excited about doing this.


How lovely for you Julie. I don't believe there is anyone around here on this board. I know that Kelly is about 90 mins. away, and she obviously has her hands full right now. But, my friends are as far away as a computer keyboard!

After reading your post I honestly do not think this woman was trying or meant to be rude or anything else. I think she merely didn't know what to say. You said you both stopped talking. You were feeling strange around her and she was probably was feeling the same way.

Since I don't have ms I can relate in somewhat to her by thinking back to when Jim was dx'd. Hell, I didn't know what to say to him either! And yes I said the worse thing that came to mind "Is that like Jerry's kids?" I didn't even know what ms was.

Anyway, my point is you felt awkward right from the beginning and maybe over time it became rather hard to hold a conversation with someone who didn't know your situation? Once you voiced this, the room went quiet. Sometimes it helps to just continue taking as if nothing is wrong.

I would invite them over and try one more time unless you are sure you don't want to. I'd give her a second chance. Maybe she didn't know what to say. I agree that seeing you in a normal situation might be what she needs to see. However, you don't owe that to her in any way. I don't think your being too sensitive either, just tired of explaining maybe?

Hugs,
Sandy

Oh Sandy, you didn't! No worries, you are such a cutie Jim obviously couldn't hold it against you.

Hi Chris,
I'm a defector from you know where and haven't had much chance to be online lately because I work and go to school full time. Good to meet ya.
Jules

If it were me I might be inclined to give this woman one more chance, provided you felt like you were clicking prior to the MS reveal. Like others said, she may have been replaying the entire dinner conversation in her head, wondering if she said something wrong, etc. If you give her a second chance and you still feel the same, then so be it. Chalk it up to it being her problem, definitely not yours.

Hello Sandy,
Your reply just made me laugh as I sat here thinking, "no, she didn't ask if he was one of Jerry's kids?" I know that I am overly sensitive, and you have a perspective about this that very few of us do. I am going to give her another chance. Perhaps, we'll become fast and furious friends one day? Thank you for your compassion and sincerity.

All the best,
Chris

Hello Jules,
You work and go to school fulll time? How do you manage to do all of that? I just went from working FT to PT, and I'm still exhausted! Good on you! It's a pleasure to meet you as well.

All the best,
Chris

That seems to be the consenus, and I think that seems to be the plan for the future. Thank you for your thoughful input.