Re: Recovery from Autologous Stem Cell Transplant XXIII - Good, Bad. no Ugly

Craig Garrison wrote: 
Hello all,

If I'm new to you, just search the group for the phrase "Recovery from
Autologous", and you'll get my story.

Good things continue to happen, but I did have one bad event which I
will relay first.  Then, I'll just pour good news all over it.

For years, even after the transplant, I've had an exacerbation every
fall.  We know from MRIs done in previous fall exacerbations, it's not
new lesions appearing, so it's just worsening of existing problems.
This year I got a further clue to the causal event, though I am at a
loss to explain how the causation creates an exacerbation.  I live on
the Texas gulf coast; normally a very humid environment.  This year
hurricane Katrina brought us strong north winds for long enough to
drastically reduce the humidity for the first of Sepember.  And I had
an exacerbation about two months before the normal time.  Katrina
didn't bring us lots of clouds (reducing the sunlight) or a
significant temperature change, so I'm concluding it's the reduction
in humidity which causes my fall exacerbations.

The bad downside to this event was the loss of the gains in bladder
control I had made and reported in update XXII.  I no longer have the
ability to tell my bladder "not now".  I keep trying though, and hope
the exercise will lead to recovery of that ability.

Now, on to the good news. I graduated walking school, i.e., physical
therapy. I finally have the feel of rotating both hips at the same
time in order to keep my center of gravity in motion throughout the
process of taking steps. My left leg still needs to get stronger in
order to walk efficiently, i.e., walk on a straight legs instead of
with bent knees. 

In my last visit to the therpist, she measured strength of all the
muscles in my legs.  My right leg has doubled in strength over two
years, and now matches the strength of the average American.  (Which
leads me to say the average American needs to get out more.)  Results
for my left leg are more spotty with the ankle greatly improved, but
my left hamstring unchanged in two years.  (My left leg was the first
to go when MS started robbing me of functions.)

Currently, I am on a plateau in my weight training, having only
increased one level on the leg press since July. However, I am
blasting through personal bests on endurance/coordination. 

I finish my twice weekly workouts with time on a stepper/hill climber.
In July, I was climbing 450 ft in 12 min.  Today, I did 695 ft in 15
min.  Yes, I finish standing on rubber legs in a pool of sweat, but I
can tell the change when I sweep out the garage or cook supper.

I warm up for my workouts with 5 min on an elliptical cross trainer.
About a month ago, without trying to, I ran on this cross trainer.  I
got on it, started as usual without any goals, and just ran.  I hadn't
run since 1988.  I put off doing this update until I could do it
again, but haven't done it since.  (I'm updating to get it out of the
way before Christmas.)  Again, it's my left leg holding me back here.
If I have to think about all the movements and sequencing them to run,
I can't do it fast enough to run.  The running experience let me know
the magic of coordinated movement is still programmed into my brain,
but I don't know what brought it out that day.  Hopefully, as I
continue on the path I'm taking, this coordination will reappear.

Good luck,
Craig


Congratulations, and perhaps the PT and a urologist can figure out something for the bladder.

CW
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Recovery from Autologous Stem Cell Transplant XXIII - Good, Bad. no Ugly
    ... > loss to explain how the causation creates an exacerbation. ... > the exercise will lead to recovery of that ability. ... My right leg has doubled in strength over two ...
    (alt.support.mult-sclerosis)
  • Re: Recovery from Autologous Stem Cell Transplant XXIII - Good, Bad...
    ... Recovery from Autologous Stem Cell Transplant XXIII - Good, ... For years, even after the transplant, I've had an exacerbation every ... My right leg has doubled in strength over two years, ...
    (alt.support.mult-sclerosis)
  • Recovery from Autologous Stem Cell Transplant XXIII - Good, Bad. no Ugly
    ... just search the group for the phrase "Recovery from ... For years, even after the transplant, I've had an exacerbation every ... In my last visit to the therpist, she measured strength of all the ... My right leg has doubled in strength over two ...
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