Snow, ice and MS, reply to Cait. was: Re: Kate?

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I think maybe that "high alert 'don't fall' " mode is what happens to during the winter (when there is snow and ice). Or at least that something like that is part of it. She describes it as feeling as if she is sliding, even when she really isn't, then trying to compensate for that "sliding", which leads to her actually sliding and falling.Her neuro says ice can be tricky for MSers like that.love/Reb>> Kate, walking almost a mile would be impossible for me without falling. Apparently I'm amusing to watch walking on my own hardwood floors. In areas I can't touch walls, I hold my arms out like airplane wings walking on a balance beam. I'm glad I was told but I also wonder what other amusing things I do since I live alone.> > Sorry about your knee bothering you. Just wondering if you're like me at all. I become so aware there's nothing to hold onto, lean against or whatever, that my brain goes on high alert "don't fall" mode. Then my body tenses up so badly I often do land on the ground ... hugs, Cait> checking in [4 Attachments]> > > > This is what's been going on with me: As you may remember, I adopted a dog last month. He's really doing quite well with his manners. Even so far as his leash work is going. He is still to young for balance work though. Polar used to be called Snowfoot when he was living with his foster dad who is a volunteer with the County Pet Rescue. > > I've attached some pictures of Polar where his new back pack. I have a Service Dog in Training patch that I will be attaching when I can get some strong thread. Last week, I took Polar to the groomer. Messy Mutts is the name of the shop and it even has places for people who want to bathe and groom their own dogs. Polar had a massive amount of hair tangled up in his undercoat. It was like one massive sheet of felted hair. The groomer used a Ferminator before she washed him and got a lot of that loose hair out. It ended with me having to bring Polar back on Friday, so that she could blow out the rest of the loose hair. Polar has been shedding a lot of hair, or so it seems to me. The vet said to give it a couple more months to see if things settle down. I've had Polar 4 1/2 weeks. I've got some pictures of Polar attached. One of them is a picture of Polar and his groomer, Rhonda. It was taken on Friday after she had finished with him.> > As for me, I fell again, twice in the last 3 days. I've had a mild aching in my head and I'm not sure if the headache is what's caused the problem, or if it's my feet not doing what I want. You know, I can go weeks without falling; but, sometimes, it seems like I'm falling all of the time. > > My youngest son, Marcus, is still not riding in the car. He walks everywhere. I don't know what he would do if he had to be referred to a doctor out of town. He is off school until Monday now. > > My oldest son has dental problems which can't be fixed because his dentist says that there is nothing he can do any longer. I don't know if anybody in the group lives in Washington state besides me; but, our state is experiencing financial problems so to try to remedy the situation, a bunch of cuts have been made. Medicaid doesn't cover dental services any longer for adults, except for those adults that have Medicaid through DDD. My son's Medicaid is through SSI. He needs hospital dentistry. I've tried contacting the Medicaid office of DSHS and keep getting connected to a recorded message which tells me to go to a web site. So, I fill out a form on the web site and still have not heard anything. > > Nick has a high level of anxiety and it takes him a while before he can settle down in the dentist chair. There have been several times when he has been unable to settle. The last attempt to have a tooth extraction was the third try for the same tooth. Nick needs hospital dentistry, so that he can go under general anesthesia. > > There is one dentist in town that will do hospital dentistry. When he has a patient under, he does everything the patient needs to have done including cleaning, fillings, extractions. We are not in a position to pay for a dentist, anesthesiologist, plus whatever charges the hospital adds in. > > I think there is a school of dentistry either at Washington State U. or the University of Washington; but, even so, there's no way for us to get there. > > Donna in WA>