Can we talk about me for a minute? Well, of course we can. It’s my blog, right?

Here’s the deal: I believe I’m having an MS relapse. Last year when I had my first (or second if you count the third nerve palsy in 2004) attack I had all kinds of numbness from my breastbone to my toes and I couldn’t walk a straight line to save my life. My balance was all messed up and my legs were weak. But then it got better. I wouldn’t say I got 100% function back, but I at least felt like my gait was starting to resemble normal. Now normal has left the building. The numbness is back, the weakness especially in my left leg, my gait and balance are all over the place. Not to mention my left hand is starting to feel a little weird too. I’m officially walking with a cane. I bring it with me wherever I go and it helps me to walk a little faster and safer. If I start to lose my balance I lean on the cane. It shares the burden of weight with my left leg so that my left leg doesn’t fail while I’m trying to step with the right.

When I first started using the cane I felt quite embarrassed, like all eyes were on me. That went away after a few days of realizing that it was mostly in my head. Once I got used to having the cane around it wasn’t a big deal. And obviously the benefits far outweigh any negative reactions I could possibly receive from others. The cane is helping my legs to not get fatigued so quickly and is keeping me safe.

My only issue now is that the cane I use is boring. It’s just a shiny blue and black marble cane and is shaped a little like a shepherd’s hook. If I have to carry this thing around I want it to have a little personality, a little flair. I’ve seen all kinds of different canes on the internet and some of them are pretty cool and not even that expensive! So I’m thinking about getting one. We’ll see.

I did get a new pair of glasses and that has me feeling pretty good. They are a nice design, not all that different from my old glasses so that’s not the exciting part. The exciting part is that they refined my prescription and added a prism to the left lens. I am blown away at how well I can see now! The world is a much clearer place! And with the prism and anti-glare lens my eyes don’t wig out with the bright light anymore. It’s amazing, simply amazing. The true test will be at the grocery store because that’s where I generally have the most trouble. Lots of things to focus on, bright lights, moving objects. I’m very anxious to see if these new spectacles can pass the test.