Worst day ever !

[RSKY]

My wife suggested a treadmill for walking 2 miles a day. You have something to hold onto.

The doctor emphasized that I not have a cane or any other support while walking. No canes, no stroller with grand baby in it, no shopping cart at grocery. Went to the grocery and Walmart last night with the wife and I think my staggering around embarrassed her. She finally told me to push the cart before I fell. She thought people were thinking I was drunk.

 

[ponytug]

I think that the idea is that, like rehabilitating stroke patients, that you are forced to retrain your brain to pay attention to the side that works.

It sounds challenging, and rich in ways that could be hard on you. So sorry. Good luck on the rehab!

All the best, Peter

 

[rontaki]

The doctor emphasized that I not have a cane or any other support while walking. No canes, no stroller with grand baby in it, no shopping cart at grocery. Went to the grocery and Walmart last night with the wife and I think my staggering around embarrassed her. She finally told me to push the cart before I fell. She thought people were thinking I was drunk.

If you are going to walk as if you were drunk, Walmart is the best store to do it in.

 

[orezok]

Back in the nineties when I was having the same problem the doctor had me stand with my back against the door to the room we were in. Then he had me look him in the face and do the drunk walk towards him. You know heel to toe and so on. I made in fine. Then he put me back against the door and close my eyes and do the drunk walk. I thought I was doing great until he caught me and I realized I was falling. Nearly took him down with me. That convinced me that he was correct in saying I had no sense of balance without my eyes. I had surgery, shunt implanted, the next day.

My wife has the same issue. She needs to look down at the ground while walking or she will lose balance. Wife considered the brain surgery, but at 83 she decided it was too risky.

 

[RSKY]

If you are going to walk as if you were drunk, Walmart is the best store to do it in.

I will agree.

Now a funny story that you will laugh at.

In 2001 my wife had eye surgery. She actually had stitches in four places on her right eyeball. And her face swelled up like she had been hit with a baseball bat. We didn't think anything about it until walking thru Walmart and this big biker type was walking down the aisle toward us. He took one look at my wife and stopped with his fists balled up like he was ready to fight. Stared at me as we walked past and I thought "Uh Oh". He thinks I blacked my wife's eye. This happened two or three times before we left the store. Seems like it was a big guy that always looked ready to jump on me. Made me nervous. She thought it funny.

RSKY

 

[RSKY]

My wife has the same issue. She needs to look down at the ground while walking or she will lose balance. Wife considered the brain surgery, but at 83 she decided it was too risky.

I am supposed to look straight ahead when walking. Doctor's aide said looking down at my feet won't do me any good.

I may have to fix a neighbor's mailbox after staggering into it. I think the post was nearly rotted off before I hit it, while walking, I hit it while walking.

She is one of the younger divorcees who I've done various things around for around her yard. She has actually brought gifts for me to the house after I did something. Then her and the wife sit and talk.