Sunday, September 24, 2006

Lazy Leg and other lovely symptoms

I have a lazy leg. Sounds a little strange, I know, but - there ya go. Strangeness is my constant companion, along with fatigue and pain.

"Lazy leg" refers to one of my least favorite MS symptom - the one that results in my right leg not responding appropriately when I try to do something with it that should be (pardon the pun) a no-brainer. Like, for example, walking. Or lifting my foot to step onto a curb or a stair. Or pulling on the right leg of my jeans or leggings. This 'lazy' right leg of mine simply won't (or can't) do what it's supposed to do.

So when I get dressed in the morning, I have to sit down and pull the leg up so I can put it into the leggings. I have to remember to be very careful when I'm trying to navigate on streets with sidewalks and curbs, because this 'lazy' leg will sometimes fail to raise itself high enough, and my toe will catch on the curb. And I'll lose what minimal balance I still have. And I might well fall.

This is the reason I always use a cane when I leave the house; I just can't trust this damned lazy right leg of mine.

It happened again this morning, when I was out on the front porch watering the plants. The leg got a wee bit lazy and I somehow managed to trip on the doormat, and almost fall into the front door. Luckily, I still have relatively active reflexes, so I managed to put out my right hand and hold onto the door jamb (our front door is glass, and I don't want to contemplate the results of my falling into it, headlong) until I could regain my equilibrium.

So there are canes stored at both front and back doors, so I won't make the mistake of going out without one.

And you thought it was a drag to remember your keys!

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