F**K Anatoly’s Mom’s Disease

The Neubie is still impressing the heck out of me. I’ve made more lasting improvements and experienced more carryover with this machine than with all of my other treatments combined. After 4 months of home use, I’m happy to report the following improvements in my left leg: Am I walking better? Nope. Am I improving…

How I’m FINALLY Getting Rid of Spasticity

One thing I wasn’t clear about is how damn tight and stiff my arm has been. I don’t have any before photos or videos, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. When I went to hand therapy back in 2018, my PT would kindly provide 10 minutes of heat before gently stretching…

Neubie Update

It was April 2012 when Multiple Sclerosis officially bit me in my ass. Although I’ve been able to slow my deterioration (thank you Ocrevus, and NeuroKinetic tx), significant gait improvements have been out of reach for the past decade. And yet, after only a few weeks of Neubie use, I’m starting to see changes and…

NewGait => NewMoves => NewHope

I wish I felt comfortable making videos as that would be easier than writing. I’d rather talk than write any day. Because I’m a speech therapist? Maybe. Because I was a teenager in the 80s, constantly on a phone attached to a wall? Probably. In lieu of a quick video update, here’s the latest addition…

What’s Working Part Three

For the last eight years: I can easily walk around my home with and without an AFO and without using a cane. I grab onto walls and furniture as needed. I can walk outside with an AFO and cane for 20 minutes maximum before stopping to rest. I can walk 1.5 MPH on a treadmill…

Disease Progression VS Disuse Progression

When diagnosed with something progressive, healthcare professionals warn you about the bad stuff, while sugarcoating the message just enough to be encouraging. They want you to “prepare for the worst, yet hope for the best.” Your _______ (fill in the blank) diagnosis will either destroy you (so be prepared) or by some miracle everything will…

Stuck in a Spasm Chasm

Days two through four out of my Self-Care journey have focused on the bane of my existence: Spasticity. Dr. Tara Tobias explains spasticity as a “movement disorder characterized by a velocity-dependent increase in muscle tone due to hyper-excitability of the reflex arc”. In other words, my body resists any attempts to lengthen certain muscles. If…