Thursday, October 7, 2010

My Becker's Story: Dealing with falls & size of calf muscles

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Growing up with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy definitely has its challenges. And over the years I have faced a few issues that at times have left me feeling a little frustrated. I could remember a time as a child even before my diagnoses when falling was a common everyday occurrence. Thankfully none of these falls ever resulted in injury though I did come close to twisting ankle a couple times. As you can understand this was very frustrating for a young child but I did learn a few thing's from going through this. I came to realize that when it comes to avoiding falls that wearing the right pair of shoes is very important. I made the mistake a few years back when I bought a pair of Reebok running shoes; they actually ended up hurting my feet especially when I would wear them for a long period time. So now I am back to wearing Nike's and I really believe that they are best for me, since they are built to last and give my heel along with my ankle the support they need. You see when you find a pair of shoes that work for you stick with them.

Another source of frustration at times for me growing up was the issue's I faced concerning the size of my calf muscles. You see for those living with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy our Calf muscles are enlarged, this happens as a result of the body attempting to compensate for the loss of muscle strength. This usually occurs between the ages of 5-15. When I noticed this happening I felt a little self-conscious about the way they looked. At times this kept me from wearing shorts in public, so growing up I really never liked to wear shorts. Thankfully over time I did get over this and now I am actually a little bit more open to the idea of wearing shorts in the summertime. I guess the biggest issue for me was the fear of what people would think. But when it came down to it any comments people made were surprisingly very positive, most people actually thought I worked out or something. Little did they know that I had Becker's Muscular Dystrophy. Thankfully at this point in my life I am no longer overly concerned with this issue, I just had to learn to accept myself the way I am.

As many can understand growing up with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy can make for some unique challenges, but for me it is comforting to know that I am not alone in this anymore. Thankfully I have the support of my family and friends, along with others around the world who are also living with Muscular Dystrophy. And sure I have been through a lot over the years, but through it all I have learned a few things. Like when it comes to avoiding falls I now know that wearing the proper shoes can really help. When it comes to the issues concerning the appearance of my calf muscles, I really have no reason to worry about what other people think. Since most people who see them actually think I work out or something. And lastly when it comes to certain weather conditions especially in winter I just need to be as careful as possible to avoid icy walkways and parking lots. And hopefully by sharing my story it will help to encourage people to do a better job of clearing snow and ice from their property. In the end I hope this post goes a long way in raising awareness about the issue's those of us face living with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy.






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