Columns Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor A Winning Belt Turns Into WrestleMania A Winning Belt Turns Into WrestleMania by John Connor | April 15, 2022 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link It was a moment of clarity. Unfortunately, my attempt at making a bright, clear consommĆ© has for the moment turned into a muddled chowder! Even worse, it was writing this column that started it. Iāve written so often in this column about using my Molift assistive device for transfers that I had a YouTube link ready to go to demonstrate it. Then, somehow I didnāt have the link anymore, so I looked up a new one. The new Molift link reveals a new strap for the device made by Swedish manufacturer Etac that allows a carer to lift a client for standing transfer without help from others. It looks safer than other options and appears to be less work. Recommended Reading March 22, 2022 News by Hawken Miller Stem Cell Transplant Gaining Ground as MS Therapy Option Many moons ago ā when the moon was 10.36 inches closer than it is now (that was seven years ago, peeps) ā an occupational therapist (OT) from the U.K.’s Health and Care Professions Council, a regulatory body,Ā gave ā or rather loaned ā me a Molift. This is how it is done in the U.K. However, its very existence seems to have been lost in the pale, pale moonlight of time. I certainly wasnāt trying to lose a carer. Iām a lump whoās obviously getting incrementally weaker. However, standing up is incredibly good for me, even if only for a few minutes a day. It also means I can wear pull-up incontinence pads. In fact, Iāve now got a terrific new system in which the pad is shoved in the back of a pair of knickers. If I couldnāt stand up, Iād have to use wrap-around pads that I’d put on in bed. Of course, Iāve been weak enough before that this has been a necessity. Somehow persisting in efforts to stand up is one of the ways I battle MS. My neurologist was surprised I could still do this. Iāve been challenging medical orthodoxy for such a long time ā including with my response to urinary tract infections and in fighting to become a patient of a lymphedema clinic ā that I’ve only just now gotten used to getting things done. So I bought the new strap, which works wonderfully. But now I must take my licks and grind through the bureaucracy. First, an OT from the council must assess it, which I managed to organize in just a week. She verbally agreed that the strap was beneficial to me. Now, the home healthcare company must train its operatives to use it. Have I won a prize belt with just my left hand or is it a new Molift strap? (Photo by Jane Davies) As I write this, I’ve received a couple more calls from the OT, who is scything through the bureaucracy amazingly, all by herself. Sheās coming back tomorrow, and the home-care company has agreed that she can train my carers. If all goes well, I will have circumnavigated a morass of Catch-22s. If not, Iāve made the mistake of kicking the hornet’s nest just as itās getting warmer! Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. Print This Page About the Author John Connor In the ā80s, John Connor created the first regular column about the burgeoning London stand-up scene. In 1990 he wrote a book about its effect on the Edinburgh Festival: āComics: A Decade of Comedy at the Assembly Rooms.ā That year he also devised and ran a live topical stand-up team show at The London Comedy Store, The Edge (It was destroyed in 2020!). In 2009 John was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, which cut short his main job as a TV casting director for āBlack Books,ā āMy Family,ā et al. Now, John writes āFall Down Get Up Again,ā an irreverent journey with MS. Tags National Health Service, U.K. patients Comments Leslie Flippin I would like more information on taking Tai Chai and other balance activities. Also how to obtain cooling vests, etc. for the warmer months. I am 74 years of age and I am starting to lose my balance more. I was diagnosed with RRMS when I was 50. It has been almost 25 years that I have been fighting a daily battle with MS .I am more anxious and depressed since I had covid in February 2022. My body is staying very tired and seems to need more sleep. After covid I had to go to hospital for dehydration and the doctor said I was not thriving. I feel as if my body is giving up. He said covid had taken my body through something like a grinder of every part of my body. I am still trying to win the battle, but it is so hard. God Bless my MS Warriors. Let's keep our Armor on because Jesus is Guiding us and he loves us so much. Reply Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
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