Water Therapy – Love it!

It’s been months since my last post. I have been overwhelmed by my most recent health challenges, and now I find myself in new territory. I’ve got a new diagnosis — secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. I have been off meds for several months – no meds have been proven to help with this type of MS. What to do now? Not sure, but this week I experienced water therapy for the first time since 2007 when I had my hip replaced. I have not been able to walk unassisted since that time — 9 years. The operation caused an exacerbation that took me down a dramatic path from which I am still recovering. Multiple Sclerosis has been a challenging pathway for me and my family.

It took me some time to find a pool with a temperature that would not be too warm for me. (Heat is a big challenge with MS) I finally found one after calling 4 places. The water is not too hot, and not too cold — (just right as Goldilocks would say!) and it is a large enough pool for me to really be able to move around. It is amazing — to be able to stand and float on my back with my legs extended is a real gift. The therapists have been wonderful, as has the staff, which makes me both happy and sad. Can you be both simultaneously?

I love water therapy so very much — it has got me moving in very different ways, ways that I can’t do on my own. It has got me thinking that I can get ready to do more things. How? I’m not sure, but I find myself more determined than ever to move forward towards a different life.