MS Symptoms: Foot Drop

Really?  You saw someone who walked like me?  In all my years I don't think I have seen someone walking like me.  It was kinda hard for me to view myself as in "Oh lordy...do I really look like that?"  But it was good for me too...to accept that yes this is just a part of things and so what if I have a silly walk.  I like what you say about empathy as opposed to sympathy.  Exactly.  I wanted to give people a chance to see what this symptom may look like.  Prior to my diagnosis I scoured the internet to find something like this but couldn't find anything.  I wanted to see what MS looks like. 

Anyways...I have written a novel here.  Thank you so much for your comment...it is very appreciated.

Yeah I got the FootDrop right now. You did a great job on the film describing what a 'drag' it is. Mine is alot like like one of the ones you were demonstrating & it is the same leg too. Mine has pain from spasticity in it. It goes all through my right leg and foot. My doctor is a Migraine specialist as well and has started me on botox shots in my leg but not in my foot. It is working in my leg but oh man do I need it in my foot. I guess that is what its all about taking responsibility as a patient for your care. I can only get botox every 3 months but at least I can tell her where it still needs it. I notice that it gets more pronounced when I get tired or fatigued.

You get botox for this?  wow.  I didn't know that was an option or that it helped.  Could you share more about this?  I am most intrigued.  Thank you so much for stopping by to comment!

Sure....I have been having a residual from an exacerbation that seemed to include spme residual spazticity when it cleared up. It seemed to  last more than a year probably closer to two. I kept taking Baclofen for the spazticity but it was becoming ineffective.  In desparation for some relief from the constant pain so I asked my doctor if there was ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE COULD DO ABOUT THIS AT ALL?! She agreed and told me that there was no documented evidence of it working for MS patients but it had been done before. In other words the findings were never published in a professional journal because I don't think that they could get enough evidence.

Part of the treatment for severe migraines is using botox to relax the muscles associated with any triggers that cause them. I did a search on it and found out that it had medical applications. I also did alot of question asking to my doc and her nurse practitioner.  I chose to take the risk of taking the botox intramuscular shots to see if that would begin to help with the constant pain that I was experiencing and had been experiencing in my right leg and foot. I got the Botox in my leg but still need it in my foot. I have only done one treatment and cannot do another until February. I was very surprized that the process of the shots kind of felt like accupuncture. As long as I did not watch what she was doing, I was OK  Well it worked for me. It took about a week for it to  really start to become noticable but it did have an extremely helpful result for me and my doc. It can help pinpoint where she needs to focus the next tme.

And Merry Christmas to you!

Yeah...it is kinda hard to describe in words...you gotta see it for yourself.  Although MS is mostly an invisible disease...most of the symptoms you can't see...foot drop is something which is pretty noticeable.  Least mine is. 

I do thank you for coming by to read and comment.  I hope you come back again.

The AFO brace that I wear works wonderfully!  I wear a short sock on the one leg, and then a knee high sock on the brace leg.  The first summer, I had an older woman ask me if it was a fashion statement wearing the different height socks. 

You are so delightful Momdukes!

You are right...you gotta do what you gotta do and you might as well look pretty doing it. 

Thank you so much for coming by to read and to comment.  I need to catch up with your posts.

You know, you have to look for the good in life.  Be ye well or sick.  Really there is good.  I try and focus on that.  Yes MS sucks, and has put a hitch in my get-a-long.  But I am going to contiinue to get-a-long.  God willing and the creek don't rise!  I write as an outlet, it helps a lot, so rather than swim around in self-pity I write about the good and funny things in life.

Sherry

I do hope that this was helpful.  And you are so right...if I had just described it...you would not get the full flavor of things I don't think.

I will be doing more of these videos so stay tuned!

Hey Larry!

Just curious...does mine look like yours?  I would imagine everyone's is different based on how you try to compensate.  I end up stomping around usually.  It is a bizarre feeling.

So good to see you and I hope you come back to read more of me.

Yeah this foot drop thing can definitely make you trip and fall down.  I have done it many a time.  And it does seem to happen more often when I am tired too.  It seems a never ending cycle...the MS makes you tired...and so then you have all these gait problems...which makes you more tired.  I hate MS. 

It is very good to see you.  I will have to see if you have written anything lately.  I need to catch up with people's posts.  Thanks so much for coming to read and to comment.

I am so sorry Patti.  How many years was it before she was not able to walk?  May I ask?  My heart goes out to you and your mom.  Thank you for coming by here...I know it must be so hard in some ways to be reminded of some things.