A Matter of Inches
Life is a long, long journey.
But when you have the ickies like multiple sclerosis, the teeny-tiniest part of the journey can be the most challenging.
Not miles, meters or even feet.
With MS & MS related foot-drop, the biggest hurdles in life can be measured in inches. (Often even less than that!)
Thought I would introduce you to a few of my own personal pains in the a$$.
(I’m sure you will be able to relate.)
Bumps & Curbs
Whether walking, using a rollator or a wheelchair/scooter, you gotta love the little two-inch bump of an accessible curb.
Hit’em with your wheels & get minor whiplash.
These hazards are just tall enough to summons someone to help “bump” me up & over the cement swell.
Somewhere the “accessible” part got lost in the shuffle!
Thresholds
Room thresholds. Carpet thresholds. Thresholds in doorways, basement ways & stairways.
Thresholds are everywhere stressing me out where ever I go.
It’s not only facing the odds of entering a new room with a different surface…but now I must hurdle the inch-tall threshold with my draggy-ass dead legs!
Doorway thresholds are difficult simple because after surviving the step-up…you gotta clear that little extra.
Even worse, the doorway to our patio has lots of raised edges to catch toes or any semblance of tread on my shoes.
The other day I was caught in this particular doorway, one foot in & one foot out for about five minutes.
I didn’t have the strength or balance in my legs to go either way.
It was a scary, demoralizing & profanity-laced dilemma.
Lips
Not talking Mick Jagger here.
The lips of a stairway makes me a real tender-foot.
After lifting my lead leg up to the next step…foot-drop causes my trailing foot to catch the lip of the previous one.
Again, I don’t have the oomph to hike & curl my toosies.
How ’bout you?
Coming in our back door is like hitting the jackpot ‘cuz it’s “DOUBLE BONUS!!”
(SFX-crowd cheer)…”Johnny, tell’em what they have won!…”
Sure thing, Sock!…”This lucky MSer will not only face the challenge of a stair lip…but ALSO the grueling climb over a slight elevated threshold!
It’s an exhausted MSer’s dream come true. And it’s all yours each time you come or go. Congratulations!”
So you see it doesn’t have to be a long walk from the parking lot. Or a short stroll to the mailbox to cause issues. When you have MS, challenges come in small packages.
Some, a matter of inches.
Please share the small obstacles in your life and we’ll commiserate together.
Be safe.
4 Replies to “A Matter of Inches”
Then there’s businesses who like to have the beauty of granite stones outside. Yea, they look nice but they trip up even the most athletic of non-MS’ers. I worked at a place that had a beautiful driveway of granite stones-leading right up to the handicapped ramp! And don’t even get me started about when they get covered with ice and snow! So freaking crazy! I’m going to ask Mick Jagger to write a song about it….
I am lucky enough to have virtually threshold free home. The challenge is going from hardwood to carpet in the bedrooms. The steps down to the garage and up from the deck both have safety grab bars by the doors. Walk in shower with grab bars and seats…am I 53 or 83!?!?
Yvonne,
Got me with the granite. Accident waiting to happen!
Tina,
You are not alone. At least we still have our own teeth!
Appreciate your thoughts!
Surprisingly some of the little things affect our lives! Sometimes people get an inch from death!