Monday, March 15, 2021

Cold, Naked & on the floor - falling with Muscular Dystrophy

Sorry about the visual the title to this blog post might bring - but that sums up my morning. My muscles are simply not up to the task today - left weak an exhausted from a weekend full of errands & folding laundry. As I exited the shower when lifting my legs out of the tub they felt very weak, the second I started drying off one of my legs gave out, causing me to fall chest first onto the bathroom sink, as I knocked my glasses onto the floor, I continued falling but was able to turn myself quickly landing naked on my arse directly onto the cold tile floor.


See I always take my shower before my wife leaves for work, for this very reason and today was the day I suffered my first fall in our tiny little bathroom. This immediately leads to a lot of frustration as next comes the near impossible task of getting back up. So while on the floor I continued drying off, with my wife grabbing the foot stool from the living room to help me get back up. See I have to get up on my own as having anyone lift me doesn’t help, as my legs have no strength to assist. 

So I start by slowly drag myself across the floor to the foot stool working my way up to finally finding myself seated on the stool. After this my wife places a kitchen chair in front of me, next I use whatever strength is left to work my way onto the chair. At this point I can continue drying myself off, get dressed and relax the rest of the day. So at this point my already day is over, with my legs and body telling me I've done too much.

But yes it still was a major victory to be able to fall in such a small space without smashing my head off the sink or the toilet, and to be lucky enough to land in a way to not sustain any injuries - well except for the embarrassment of my wife seeing me in yet another helpless situation. Thank God she was home as well. But my biggest frustration is the fact that God works so slowly, when I've been praying for years for a miracle in getting a new place to live that is fully accessible. 

As currently with where we live if I am home alone and needed to use my mobility scooter I couldn't - as getting it through the small doors of the 100 year old building we live in would be impossible. See I wish I could still earn a living to solve all my problems, but my work related injury & current point in life with Becker Muscular also makes that impossible. Though I will never give up, it just today is a reminder of how important it is for us to find a way to move and unfortunately there truly isn't any hope of winning the lottery. 

In all honesty the two miracles I am praying for include - upgrading my vehicle to a minivan with the BraunAbility Turny Evo Seat & Bruno's hoist lift, the Curb-Sider installed. And the most important an accessible place to be able to move in to. Then I can get back to living my life to the fullest, but for now there's no winning when fighting against Muscular Dystrophy as one way or another it'll knock you on your arse always reminding you it's there.