Get A Grip
If you have multiple sclerosis, two things are absolutes…
1)- You have bad balance. (Like riding a unicycle on a bed of ball bearings.)
and
2)- Because of the lack of balance, you are forced to wall-walk–holding onto anything solid.
For a better grasp on the subject, I thought I would take you on a tour of the My Odd Sock homestead & introduce you to my favorite places to grab and hold-on.
Welcome to the 2016 Get A Grip Tour of Homes.
Entering through the back door, You’ll see I tend to grab hold of the top corner of a cabinet in the garage.
…Followed by a right hand on the door closer thingy.
(Not too much weight mind you as I don’t want to break it!)
Once inside, duty calls. Time to hit the potty.
Sitting down is easy. (Yes, I pee like a girl)
Getting up is another matter.
Luckily I can pull myself up with a right hand on the bathroom cabinet (pictured).
While the left hand has a death grip on the window sill (not pictured).
Getting something from the fridge requires me to grab hold of a cabinet frame with my left hand while opening the door with my right.
(Note: A stainless steel fridge works wonders to preserve my million fingerprints. NOT)
Shower time is a complicated movement beginning with grasping the shower’s top corner with a left hand.
Meanwhile, the right hand is lifting the left leg over the ledge.
Once the left leg has cleared, new grab points are established before dragging the right leg over the tub ledge.
During the shower process, the right hand can be seen occasionally holding on to the shower pipe as if it is a venomous pit viper.
Freshly showered & powered in delicate areas, it is time to venture down the stairs where the right hand is gripping the stairway rail.
Safety first, I always say!
As my right hand rides the rail downward, I casually place my left hand on the stair case ceiling to prevent any head-first momentum.
Having special “Get A Grip” grab points in your own home is a common practice.
The big problem comes when finding yourself in a strange place. New surroundings, where you are forced to quickly assess & scout out unfamiliar settings for new grippy short cuts.
Consider yourself the Lewis & Clark of mobility.
“How can I get up from there?”
“How do I balance myself here?”
Some way, some how, you figure it out. You always do.
That’s what makes those of us with MS a resilent bunch.
If there is a way, we’ll find it. It may look ugly, but we’ll get it done.
Just be safe.
And as my wife always tells me “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Can you relate? Tell me about your secret hand-grab-holds that make dealing with MS a little easier.
Keep moving.
4 Replies to “Get A Grip”
I am no longer mobile, but I had safety bars installed in my bathroom, walk in closet, and garage. I used a shower chair when taking a shower. There is also an item that can be purchased at Lowes, that goes over the toilet, that has arm rests on each side, that makes it easier for you to push up off the toilet. When I was working, I asked my supervisor if I could purchase and install one of those toilet things in the handicap bathroom at work. To my surprise, not only did they agree, but my employer purchased the item at Lowes, and had maintenance install it on the toilet in the handicap bathroom.
Margaret,
You are a smart MSer. That’s why I like you!
Thanks for reading & commenting.
I tend to grab anything or everything in my path, especially if I have to pee! Sometimes I grab unsafe, movable things but by the grace of God I manage to do what I gotta do! Thanks for the chuckle, I needed that. Love your true to life stories, for me anyway.
Haha, I once grabbed the hand of a random guy while coming down the stairs of a restaurant (that didn’t have rails) . I then continued on like nothing happened