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710547 tn?1295446030

How do you walk when you lose the feeling of for and leg?

I recently posted about my foot drop, but something that is making it nearly impossible to walk, is the lack of feeling in my foot and leg. It's had reduced sensation for a long time, but now is nearly "dead". My left side has started losing feeling as well - after years of it being normal.  It feels like I'm trying to walk on a foreign stub, and I am really struggling.

Even lying in bed, my leg feels awful - the ankle feels "stressed", and there is a feeling of the leg being extremely heavy. My hip and knee joints are very painful from my walking attempts this past week and a half as well.  For the first time, I'm facing true physical disability - my mobility! I have a walker, which I use when there's a lot of walking to do - mostly due to serious back trouble - but now I need help just getting around in my small home. I am trying a crutch on the bad side and a cane on the other. And I even brought my mom's wheelchair into the house from the garage (a difficult ordeal due to stairs and a terribly crowded, gross garage!).  

Since I live alone, I don't know how to manage. I've been told I have Secondary progressive MS - for the last 2+ years - which would point to this being a permanent worsening of the signals to my legs. I admit, I'm distressed. I'm trying to keep using the leg, and strengthening both legs, but regardless of an increase in what I have been doing physically - weakness is progressing - quads, hips - everything.

I just got Dr Wahls' book, The Wahls Protocol - and am planning to go on her program of nutrition and exercise to try reducing this loss - and hopefully stop the deterioration. Her self-resesrch, as well as clinical trials she has undertaken, are promising in the ability to reverse and hault the physical deterioration. I'm grasping onto that thought, but truly wonder if I can handle it. I'm no spring chicken!! And my children, although very close by, are very busy with their own young lives and families. If I put the wheelchair in the car and just use walking aids indoors - could I manage getting the chair in and out of the car alone? These are new questions for me. Previously, back pain reduced by mobility - but now my legs just won't work.

My biggest question for others, is about the loss of feeling in the foot and leg - and how it effects walking - how you manage, etc. Foot drop alone can be a challenge, but the liss of feeling is making things impossible.  Thanks in advance for any response - I am  feeling overwhelmed at the moment. My trust in God, and knowing that I have a life without pain or disability awaiting me after this one, has kept me going, and helped me stay positive in very dark times. I find myself at another serious crossroad in my journey - wondering if my mobile days are coming to an end. I don't believe that would mean life is less worth living - but it is definitely a difficult thing to accept. I've been mowing my lawn this summer, and I was hoping to maintain my independence for several more years. I must stay determined, yet accept what comes my way - a challenging balace!  It's 1 am - another sleepless night, which doesn't help
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5265383 tn?1669040108
Hello! The lack of feeling can definitely make it more difficult to walk. Lack of position sense and proprioception all interfere with mobility.

There is a Facebook group called "The MS Gym".  There, a personal trainer has outlined some seriously excellent personal training routines for those with ms.  He does neurokinetic training to help bypass ms damage, and many people are seeing great success using these techniques.

Have you had your sleep assessed with a sleep study?  I have been told possibly now progressive as well; the hallmark of secondary being increasing weakness and fatigue. However my "fatigue" has been due to 18 months of terrible sleep and thus sleep deprivation.  There is a distinct possibility that there may be something treatable here, and it's worth a shot.  In my case, the correct machine has enabled me to return to 7.5 hours of great sleep pretty much every night, which I haven't seen since a relapse December 2015.  For me, sleep deprivation has been the trigger for worsening symptoms, so I have some hope now.

This disease can be thoroughly frustrating, and I'm hoping something here is helpful.  (((Hugs)))
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