Trying to Get Riding Fit with MS at the Speed of a Snail

[RMJacobs]

So sorry that happened.

When I gave up riding, it was because I nearly came off a bombproof rental horse when he did a slight jig on the trail. I was way too tense to be on a horse after having been dumped repeatedly by a horse I’d owned and sold. That eventually led to me taking up driving.

The funny thing is I thought I’d be fearful the first time I drove after being hit by the car, seven years later. Nope, not a bit! The big difference to me is that my falls off that horse I’d owned in '99 were due to my own lack of balance and inability to compensate for it. Getting blown out of the cart due to being hit by the car was not my fault, not my pony’s fault, and therefore was just a freak accident, not something that was likely to happen again, especially not driving in an arena.

I know you are a trouper and will have no problem getting back on at your next lesson. I hope all the aches go away quickly, and certainly don’t get worse.

Rebecca

[luvmyhackney]

So glad you are ok and didn’t hit your head.

You are so committed, I’m 100% confident you will get back on a horse.

Hopefully your bruising and soreness goes away quickly.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I had a sort of interesting physical improvement after my fall.

Due to my colonoscopy and the great reduction of my MS medicine (supply issues) my normal bowel movements became pretty constipated. My elimination nerves were not working very well.

The fall jolted something loose or it activated a nerve that had stopped working. I am much more normal now in this regard.

I am walking inside the house with one cane. My left butt muscles hurt still. My body told me to get out of the Incrediwear stuff. I am slowly improving as in it does not hurt as much and I could sleep on my left side last night.

[RMJacobs]

Jingling for continued improvement! And, as horsewomen, bowel movements are always a good sign!

Rebecca

[HorseLover65]

Relieved you didn’t hit your head and hoping you feel well enough to ride your HH on Sunday. Getting back on serves a purpose, but as a mature adult, I think we are able to judge when it is appropriate and when it is not.

[HorseLover65]

How are you feeling this week?

[Jackie_Cochran]

If I did not have this sharp, stabbing, and burning pains in the muscles of my left pelvis, my life would be better.

I did not have my lesson today. This morning I would literally have been unable to mount MJ even using my 3-step mounting block. My left buttock was sending sharp pain down the back of my thigh, which in turn occasionally causes a muscle “tremor”. If I was not using 2 canes I probably would have fallen at least once this morning.

I am going to see a PCP in the same group as my preferred PCP, at least I’ve seen this doctor occasionally if I can’t see my regular doctor.

All this sort of masks how my thinking ability is changing. Right now I seem to be pretty good with using words, but I have hours when my brain is not able to operate at the level of using language in an effective way. I am definitely getting pedantic, I apologize.

[HorseLover65]

I had to look up the meaning of pedantic
I thought I knew what it meant, but wanted to make sure.
I hope you get relief from the pain soon. I enjoy your updates! You are resilient.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I saw a PCP. She said that my hip pain was from the bad tissue at the tops of my femurs.

Orthopedic surgeon consultation is next.

I may have to have my hips replaced.

Oh well, it will be a while before I can ride again whether it be on a lesson horse or on my Home Horse.

[RMJacobs]

Everyone I know who had one or more hips replaced was very happy with the outcome, and wished they’d done it sooner. I realize your MS complicates things a lot, but I bet you would still get a lot of benefit out of it.

Jingling as always!

Rebecca

[NaturallyHappy]

@RMJacobs

Everyone I know who had one or more hips replaced was very happy with the outcome, and wished they’d done it sooner. I realize your MS complicates things a lot, but I bet you would still get a lot of benefit out of it.

Jingling as always!

Me, too!

[Jarpur]

@Jackie_Cochran

All this sort of masks how my thinking ability is changing. Right now I seem to be pretty good with using words, but I have hours when my brain is not able to operate at the level of using language in an effective way. I am definitely getting pedantic, I apologize.

Perhaps it’s the pain and physical issues interfering at this time, and the use of words can improve as those are mitigated.

When my daddy was hospitalized for mini-stroke, the speech therapist told me “speech is the first thing to go” when there is another issue. She said that is because humans use the body’s breathing and eating apparati in order to speak, and those more critical functions will take precedence at that time.

Sending you positive vibes! You are such a trooper, and an inspiration of what is possible when faced with the hand one is dealt in life.

[3PonyFarm]

I am so sorry you are dealing with the hip pain. I hope if you have to have surgery they can get it scheduled soon for you. Does your instructor have any horses that drive? A cart might be managable for you and you could still get some horse time.

[Jackie_Cochran]

No Debbie never got into driving. She has no driving horses, no harness, no cart, and she has never told me that she drove any horses.

Shannon dabbled in it. However she lacks an already trained harness horse.

Thank you for the suggestion! This would work well for other severely handicapped horse people.

[luvmyhackney]

Are you close to Raleigh,NC? Prior to moving I volunteered at Horses For Hope and a couple other therapeutic riding places. Maybe an option?

Get you back on a horse with a little more support.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Yes this whole thing got started by falling off a horse.

BUT if I had not kept up my muscles, learned how to move over my base of support, experience in remaining in some sort of balance in changing physical conditions I would be much worse off.

I can walk CAREFULLY, planning every step, make sure that I go over my base of support (foot), using my arms to push up from the canes and solid surfaces, I can do the minimal necessary to keep out of a nursing home–I can get to the toilet, and I can still get on and off the toilet (a helping hand makes the second a lot easier.)

Riding Forward Seat for over 50 years has kept the necessary muscles working, doing 2-point on a moving horse and the experience of keeping my balance, and learning how to shift my weight within my base of support have enabled me to keep walking through all of this.

The doctor recommended Aleeve is taking the sharp burning edge off of the pain.

Tomorrow I have my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon.

With my MS I think I would already be in a nursing home. Instead I ride horses.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Just got back from the orthopedic surgeon. It was a very short appointment.

He called up my X-rays, told me my hip joint showed no signs of damage, that the supposed bone necrosis that they were hyperventilating about was obviously an OLD happening which had obviously healed completely long ago. I have no necrosis around my hip joint. I got the impression from him that the previous doctors were over-reacting big time with all their dire pronouncements.

I do not have to have hip surgery!!!

I asked about riding horses and he said that when my muscles stopped hurting it was fine for me to ride horses again. Tincture of time, with some help from OTC pain medications, that I should keep on moving around, and that I should heal up fine.

It still hurts to walk (a good bit at times), I still NEED my canes, but essentially I got prescribed a few weeks of turnout on decent pasture.

[Alterwho]

Great news!

[HorseLover65]

WooHoo! That is indeed great news!!

[3PonyFarm]

Very good news!