Good days

[Vion]

Yesterday was a great day. I am also a carer to my 72 year old cousin who has speech difficulty and memory problems. I was able to visit him clean his flat, make him lunch and cut his hair(wow) shocked myself. I then got home and was totally unbalanced struggled to sleep and today can barely walk. Is this what I have to expect or did I just overdo it?

[Iain_100]

Show him a mirror and he'll get a shock too

Seriously though, good days and bad days are pretty standard for me.

Overdoing it? Personally, I'd say no.

One particular problem I notice comes at the end of a long walk (say over 15 mins). I lose all personal balance ability in confined spaces. So never venture into a shop or stranger's house at the end of a walk. I need to sit down first - for about 20mins. Then life seems to return to my legs, and balance returns to normal (or as normal as it gets).

The simple answer would be to never walk for more than 15mins.

However, the bits of my body that still work well, would not be exercised if I were to do this - and the abilities that remain would suffer. I'd lose these abilities on good days too.

And good days do happen.

So, in my case and on good days, the answer is to always do what I can. So that when the next good day comes around, I still can (as much as possible).

UNDERdoing it is a bigger worry for me.

[Vion in reply to Iain_100]

Thanks I totally understand. Just washed and blow dryed my hair which took at least 20 mins but now shattered so will rest for 20 mins before my next task. A helicopter ride around Essex. Thankfully I will not be driving.😁

[february]

Dear Vion, You may have over-done it, although kudos to you for helping your cousin! I find if I over-due one day, I pay for it physically the next! It's the nature of the beast ataxia...,ha! But, inspite of that I try to keep myself as active as I can! It's a fine balance, because I get worse if I rest too much! My best to you..., ;o)

[Iain_100 in reply to february]

"I get worse if I rest too much"

Totally agree!

I don't know if there is any medical evidence to support this, but I definitely feel the same. In general, the rate of my deterioration is pretty constant.

But if I do nothing for a few days, then when I do return to activity, I have the feeling that the rate of deterioration sped up when I was doing nothing. I feel as if I have lost more than I would have had I kept active.

So I keep active as much as I can (without overdoing it of course).

Once it's gone, it's gone. And I'd quite like to hang on to the bits that do work well, for as long as possible

[february]

That's the spirit!!! ;o)

[Vion]

Thanks all, unfortunately I did over do it slightly on the helicopter as ended up in A&E on a paracetamol drip. Lots of pressure in my head at moment so back home resting. I will stick to baking cookies for a few days before I am off again to take my cousin for a MRI. (Cancer) scare. Always someone worse off than yourself. Keep the faith😀