Several drugs that have been prescribed for my cervical dystonia can increase suicidal tendencies. I’ve never filled any of them, because I worried about that. I will look into some of your ideas above. Thank you.
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If you try the homeopathic remedies DO NOT take them more than 3 times (3 drops or 3 of the little tiny pills). Several weeks later you can use them again, like one drop/pill then stop taking it.
I have been using the Bilberry for over 30 years, and we usually buy it from Walmart.
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I hope the drug becomes available soon!
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I’m sorry you are dealing with med shortages. That happened a few years ago with some of the RA meds I take, and it was always a white knuckler every time I ran low.
Jingling for supply problems getting fixed!
Rebecca
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After three weeks of real life interfering, Shannon came out today. I warned her that everything would probably be off and possibly horrible because I am only taking 1/3 of my prescription. I did not feel rested at all when I woke up, and I thought of not riding my HH today, then I told myself that I obviously NEEDED some physical therapy, so I rode my HH. Today I did not use the stirrups at all or the reins.
I managed to mount my Home Horse without many problems. Then something interesting happened, my body wanted to MOVE and exercise! This was a relief from me teetering on my feet, moving very gingerly, and being scared of falling down when walking around.
I did THREE sessions of posting 20x today, and even so my body wanted to do more posting. I walked sitting and in 2-point also. Amazingly my balance on the HH was GOOD, the bubble balance does not lie. I rode 18 minutes before I got too tired, and Shannon had to help me get my right thigh over the cantle, and I did not have any other problems.
I am so glad my sense of balance worked. I warned Shannon that sometime in the future my nerves to my brain’s balance center might go all wonky, but today stuff worked out for me. My sense of balance was the first thing to go when I had MS exacerbations in the past, it serves as an early warning system for when my brain is affected by my MS.
When Shannon rode my HH she told me that she could feel that she had not ridden on it for 3 weeks in her muscles, so she gave herself a decent workout.
I showed Shannon my new Fager Adam fixed cheek leather snaffle. She really liked this bit. Her TWH mare, Magic, does.not.like.bits, Shannon thinks her mouth was severely abused when “trained” and that this is why Magic ended up being a pasture ornament for years. Shannon thinks my leather bit shows promise, she liked how it bent in a smooth curve, she liked the thickness, and she just liked the feel of the bit in her hands. Unfortunately I might take me a while to buy another one, I do not see any way that I could keep any sort of bio-security by using the leather bit between stables.
Shannon had her vet out for spring shots. The vet said that Cider did not seem to be very lame, just a little sore, and cleared her for the light riding we do on her. I might get to ride Cider again! I am interested in Cider’s opinion about my leather snaffle.
The rest of the time Shannon worked on putting the parts of the Visible Horse together, with little rubber bands holding the pieces together while the glue bonds. Shannon bought the glue specifically made for doing the models, and it worked! It might take a few weeks before she can finish it, but right now my hand tremors are sort of bad so I can’t do it myself. Luckily for me Shannon likes to put models together!
I am tired from my “ride” but I am very encouraged that my balance is not too bad, yet. Since my ride I have dared to walk short distances without a cane which is much better than before I rode my HH. This is one of the reasons that I think the HH is worth every penny I spent on it, it helps me learn how to be balanced on my own two feet.
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Very happy you got a good workout in!
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I am on day 4 of my reduced Dronabinol daily does–10 mg, one pill, in the AM instead of 2 or three of these pills 2-3 x a day.
I tried writing cursive this morning, something I do once a week to keep tabs on my fine muscle control in my hands. My penmanship is definitely worse. I am weaker, I have less energy, I have to wear my Fenwick and BOT gear more on my neck, back and hips, and most of the time I pick up a cane when I need to walk.
I thought back on MJ’s introductory ride with the Fager Adam fixed ring leather snaffle. It occurred to me that if I went ahead with using this leather bit as the bridoon on my double bridle I could explain stuff to MJ with greater ease, as in “yes, this aid DOES mean to slow down or halt.” So I switched from the Fager Alice 3-piece 130mm snaffle w/ a roller in the center link titanium fixed ring bridoon; to the Fager Adam,125 mm leather snaffle.
The Fager Adam is 14mm thick. The Fager Alice is 12mm thick. I tried to “guesstimate” the length of the bridoon strap, but I am sure that Debbie will do some fine adjustments. The rings on the Adam are bigger than the rings on the Alice. Oh well. We will figure it out I am sure.
I should have my lesson tomorrow, and I will report.
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I will keep my fingers crossed the medication situation improves soon! Wishing you well in your lesson tomorrow.
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I had my lesson today, and I am TIRED. It got warm down here but at least there was a breeze.
I introduced MJ to my double bridle using the Fager Adam fixed ring leather snaffle as the bridoon, even though its rings are regular sized rings for snaffles. I showed it to Debbie and she was worried that MJ might find it too full of a mouthful. I had guestimated wrong again about the length of the bridoon hanger but MJ just looked at me out of the corner of his eye, I noticed that the corners of his lips had several wrinkles, so I lengthened the bridoon hanger. Problem solved. No more dirty looks, and no fretting at all with his mouth. He had zero problems with having a more stable bridoon on the double bridle.
I told Debbie my tale of woe about my prescription medication and warned her I would just be walking today, and that this medicine problem could last for many months. I also apologized to MJ in advance for any irritation I caused him.
I am definitely worse with my MS symptoms. I have more of a hand tremor to start which is why I changed to the leather bit. My right leg got continual corrections from Debbie as it drifted back and stayed back, so Debbie prescribed 2-point for a while. MJ had been used for a WTC lesson yesterday by a MUCH lighter rider, he still wanted me to get up into 2-point at the beginning and I did it for as long as I could, then I did it a little bit longer when Debbie told me to so I could correct my right lower leg.
MJ had ZERO PROBLEMS when I picked up contact with the bridoon. Every turning rein aid was obeyed promptly, my turning leg aids were just frosting on the cake, not really essential to get him to turn. His turn in place was relaxed. Backing up–well he does not really like backing up but he finally gave me the three strides backing up. When I wanted to halt I alternated my relaxed ring fingers and he obeyed immediately, much different than last week when I used the leather bit by itself. I did not have to train MJ to obey the more stable bridoon, it was like I had used it every day for years.
The leather bit seemed to “mute” my hand tremor, at least MJ did not keep asking what in the world I meant, he just obeyed my hand aids promptly and pleasantly. He reached forward for contact with the bridoon (he said my hands were not good enough today to do contact with the Weymouth curb in the very subtle way of not reaching for the curb mouthpiece with his tongue.)
MJ did not want to extend his walk much today, which is normal for him on a day after a group lesson. I finally got him to move out some, then I stopped asking, so long as he took decent contact with his new bridoon I was content. I might not be able to keep contact with just the curb bit until late fall when it gets cooler, but that does not matter to me since he is so much “happier” and relaxed carrying a curb in his mouth along with the bridoon. If I need a little bit more emphasis on slowing down hand aids I can always twiddle my little fingers on the sagging curb rein, he can feel that just fine.
I might be able to ride through the summer without digging out my bitless bridles! HURRAH!!!
I made it a full thirty minutes even though I was starting to feel like I was melting in the saddle.
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Sorry to hear about the MS acting up, I hope your medication situation gets sorted out soon. Glad you got a ride in!
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Earlier this week I remembered that last Sunday I told myself that I NEEDED physical therapy to help deal with my physical worsening from reducing my medicine.
So I decided that it would be an excellent idea for me to do another session on my Home Horse between my riding lessons. So now I will try to do the HH 2 to 3 times a week, hopefully 2x/wk with my riding lesson as my third time in the saddle each week.
That is what I did this morning, with my DH’s help. There is a storm system approaching us here and we, both elderly, woke up HURTING all over. I am so, so, so glad I bought all my BOT and Fenwick stuff because it helps my body deal with my painful consequences of changes in air pressure. I wore my BOT back brace for my HH ride today.
I lasted 10 minutes. I did 2 sessions of 30 posts, up from 20 posts plus some more added in sporadically. I had to work a little bit more on balancing as I kept on needing to lean right more. This makes sense since Debbie pointed out that my right leg was not staying in place well during my lesson.
Otherwise I “walked” with some 2-point sporadically. I had to work on keeping my weight in my heels instead of trying to grip my HH platform with my toes and having my weight on the balls of my feet. When I succeeded with getting my weight onto my heels my front-to-back balance improved somewhat.
At 10 min. I was too tired to continue, but at least I was able to get my right thigh over the cantle of my saddle without my husband having to lift it up for me and move it over to the left.
My body wanted to GET MOVING even though I get really tired from moving. It is so much more fun to get moving on my HH and my body feels more secure on my HH than it does trying to balance on my own two feet.
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You are doing great! Hope the storms aren’t too bad.
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Yesterday I did not get to ride my Home Horse because my youngest son, my daughter-in-law and my two grandsons came over for Mother’s day.
So with DH help I rode it today.
I ached this morning so besides my BOT back brace with a folded up Fenwick leg wrap in the pocket I also wore my Fenwick shorts because my hip joints hurt.
Even so I made it 15 minutes and I worked hard. I did 30 posts in a row 3X, lots of 2-point balancing and “walking”, I walked, and I sat still and tried to keep my balance. Wearing the far-infrared radiation therapy stuff I did not expect to last that long! I also used the reins from the beginning.
Near the end I even managed to do a full circle in each direction. My body feels EXERCISED!!!
I did not use my stirrups, I just am not steady enough yet from the severe cutback of my medicine while I try to make what I have last until it is available again.
Hours later I am TIRED. I keep on making mistakes typing this and just now I used one cane to walk to my kitchen.
My thighs are tireder than usual from all the posting and the circles.
Gradually I am teaching myself how to use my HH to concentrate on separate muscles. When in 2-point I concentrated on keeping my weight in my heels and toward the insides of my feet. I am also learning how my balance is effected when I use one muscle–does my HH pitch forward? Do I end up leaning to one side?
It has been a challenge to keep my weight in my heels. I also had to keep repositioning my feet back to their proper place because my feet wanted to move back.
Maybe if I use my HH enough I will be able to build some endurance, I sure hope so!
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Good job! It is hard to get motivated to exercise if you are hurting. Take care!
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I really need to add to my BOT collection for those days when my joints are groaning loudly.
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Yes.
Today I ordered several things from BOT and Fenwick Equestrian. Having to reduce my medicine a lot, and not really knowing when it will be available again, I figured I better go ahead and get myself more of the human therapeutic gear.
I also bought another Fager Adam leather bit. MJ seems to like it as a bridoon, and someday I will get back to riding Cider, I hope. The thought of going back to the bitless bridles just brings up feelings of extreme boredom.
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I got to my lesson today. I did all my stuff for MJ, the posture prep, the fly spray, brushing his mane (which he loved), put his “hats” on.
Before I was riding 5 minutes some dogs exploded out of the woods, the pasture horses reacted, MJ gave a startle, and I went SPLAT. I hit on my left side and rolled pretty hard to flat on my sacrum.
Luckily I was wearing my Trauma Void EQ3 helmet and I had thinnish dense foam hip pads on.
I had two people helping me up, Debbie and Sam(antha), after a few minutes I stood up, waited for my canes, and walked to the gate on my own two feet. DH drove up to the ring, I got in the car, at the barn I walked around a tiny bit, and went home. I was wearing my BOT back brace which might have made me less able to react appropriately to MJ’s sudden movement, but I was really glad I had it on when I fell as it braced my lower back and supported my back when I got up and moved around. Debbie said I did not hit my head, yeah!!!
My left butt muscles feel BRUISED.
DH drove us home, I walked almost 100 feet up the ramp to my front door, went immediately to my homeopathic medicines and took a drop of Traumeel. The aconite in the Traumeel helped my mind get over the tiny shock of falling off, and I managed to get out of my riding clothes, rubbed my Traumell salve on my sore muscles, put on my 1) Incrediwear body sleeve, my Incrediwear “shorts”, then my Fenwick shorts, then my BOT boxer shorts and my hip pads, plus both of my Fenwick neck gaiters, one for my neck and one for my occiput, my BOT neck dickie, my Fenwick shirt, and my BOT neck collar. Then I headed to my Posture Prep and used it where I hit when I fell and I put my Fenwick head band on too.
Debbie wanted me to get back on. I politely told her I’ve been riding for over 50 years, that my first fall off an equine, a pony, was during my second ride in my life when I was 6 years old, I have fallen off many times since then, and I would get back up on MJ my next riding lesson.
My butt muscles of my left butt did NOT want to go through the strain of mounting and dismounting right then. I WILL be getting back up on a horse again.
The weather was not that good, it was misting a good bit (making my saddle more slick than usual), just the type of weather when horses start looking out for ghosts and ghouls coming out to attack them to tear them apart with great prejudice. SHRUG, horses.
I can get out of bed, stand up and walk with one cane. It could have been a LOT worse!
Come to think of it the weather was just like it was the previous time I fell off a horse. Shrug.
People who ride horses get to fall off. As normal I relaxed my body while I was falling off.
I may skip riding my Home Horse on Friday. Hopefully on Sunday I will feel up to riding my Home Horse.
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Gosh…,it sounds like it could have been significantly worse. Fingers crossed for you!!!
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Oh no! I’m glad you are alright! I hope you are not too sore the next few days.
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I think I have an idea of what set up MJ to be triggered so easily.
We have been having thunderstorms the past few hours.
I BET all of his joints were aching. I suspect that some of his muscles were feeling sorer than usual. Grumpy, aching old man, not willing to give anyone any extra consideration.
I miss the Arabians I used to ride at Debbie’s. They never expected me to be perfect all the time. QHs may be wonderful horses to many people, but with me I find that they are not quite as forgiving as many of the Arabians I’ve ridden. Besides, they are also shorter.
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