Foot Drop, Short Stature, Tall Cabinets, What can I do?

[slightlybroken]

Hi..everybody!! I notice that my foot drop is getting worse. My toes will no longer bend up on the left side. At best, maybe 2 toes will respond, but will not fully go up. When I try to bend them down, my foot and leg has a mind of it's own. It will start to shake, and my toes will barely react. It is very weak.

My ankle stops, and will not lift up above a 90 degree angle. As far as bending down, it is stuck as well and limited compared to the right. I noticed if I'm in a relaxed position, like in a recliner, actually reclining, the right leg/ankle will follow the chairs shape. The left leg/ankle will be stiff and in a unrelax position, almost frozen in that 90 degree angle.

My husband can force it down by hand, but I can not do this by my own will power. Is it broken? Is there anything I can do to make it better or regain some mobility in the ankle and toes? My ankle has been like this since 2008, but has gradually got worse and I have noticed since my bladder surgery something went really bad with the left side of my body. I'm not sure if it was the stress of surgery, or the infection from the UTI, or the infection from the incision sites, or all of the above, but I have noticed a decline in my walking since then.

I can get up a little on my tippy toes on the right (if I have something to balance me), but on the left, forget it. I kind of need to be able to do this. I'm a short person, and I have tall cabinets. I can't reach my dishes half the time LOL. It's pretty bad when you have to ask your children to get a bowl for you because you can't reach it. HA HA!

Take Care

[slightlybroken]

Johnnymutt- I haven't found a resolution just yet, but I also haven't went to the doctor either. LOL. I'm going to see my neuro in June, so I think I'll bring it up then, along with everything else. I've decided to be blunt and to the point this time with her...not nasty to her because I do respect and like her...but more or less throw my cards on the table and question why I don't have a diagnosis. I'm hoping with a little pushing, she might diagnose me because I do believe she does feel I have MS, she just wanted Cleveland Clinic to back her up on the matter.

CC just wants to throw pills at my symptoms that pop up rather than finding the source of why I have the symptoms in the first place. I don't agree with this approach. I figured, by the time I do have enough evidence (because I believe most, if not all of my evidence is in the spine and sometimes that can take years to show), I'll be crawling into their offices, and I am just not going to do that.

I might see about PT and being evaluated for the foot drop, if they will do it.

[johnnymutt]

I was just curious if you found a resolve to your problem yet.

[gooddays]

HI, I don't know if we have met, but i would like to comment on your situation.

I have been a member of this forum since Nov 08, I believe, but have become a silent member.  Many of those reading this comment may remember me.

I have been dx'd since 2003, but just this past Monday were told that my  first CIS was 29 years ago when I was pregnant with my second child.  I have been on Avonex for the past 5 years, and, even though I have had very bad relapses, I am still walking with assistance aids.

Here is my recommendtion, if you can afford it or your medical insurance covers the visit, try to make an appointment with a physiatrist to evaluate your foot drop.  You see I have foot drop in both my feet andb after several sessions of PT, she prescribed MAFOs for booth feet, which were difficult to handle at first, but one gets use to it.  Foot drop is not something to fix with a step ladder as you may hurt more times than you may expect, as foot drop causes balance problems, if you did not have any by now.

I am at the point that my leg braces are not a pretty sight, they help walk fairly, even when I use a cane or cuff crutches.  I have been using them for three years now, if not if would probably be in a wheelchair by now.  I do have a scooter for long rides,.

Grannyhotwheels advised my way back then about the braces, and I thank her tfor the advice.

Sorrry this is so long, but I wanted to let you know that foot drop is not a ladder thing, it is an MS consequence.  Please check with your doctor.

Take care,

Gooddays (Zulma)

[supermum_ms]

I'm another of the short in statue, big in attitude fraternity lol

I'm not sure i'd recommend a step, i have always had to use one but i seem to fall over or off it more than i ever have, and i'm sorry to say i've also tripped over the blasted thing more times than i care to remember.

I ended up moving things around in my cupboards, things i use all the time are now within easy reach, i also donated to dd a tonn of things i've not used in years, I cant believe how much room i've now got. I think it might be a safer option to lower things, than make you go up with the foot drop.

Cheers.......JJ

[Wind_and_Water]

A step stool was my first thought, too.  Just please make sure it does not easily tip over.  :-O

[slightlybroken]

Jen- That is such a great idea Jen...I never even thought of that. I'll have to go and buy me one. I don't know how many times I've almost fell because of being off balance on my tippy toes..and doing it, barely on one foot.

Wobbly- Thank you so much Wobbly. It means so much to me :) I hope someone might have some answers too. I think I probably need PT, but my doctors have never ordered this for me. As I said, they just watch me go down hill. My GP is getting frustrated too.

[Wobbly]

sorry I don't have any advice, but I wanted to say I hope you find answers to help you with this.. I feel for you and wanted you to know that we are here for you and hope other jump in with ideas.

take care
wobbly

[jensequitur]

find yourself a lightweight step stool that you can keep in the kitchen.

Sometimes when I stand on my toes, my calves cramp up - so I try to avoid that when possible.

[slightlybroken]

bump

[slightlybroken]

LOL thanks  Ess..I really didn't mean.. is it literally broken..I meant is it broken in the sense that, will it ever go back to normal when I can move it on my own without someone moving it for me. I'm sick of walking with a limp and I've heard or read that sometimes you can damage the tendons in your legs, ankle, and feet from lack of movement. I've been like this for so long, I'm wondering if my tendons is now "shorter" because of the lack of motion.

I don't want to cause more damage and would like any advice on what to do, to regain, if I can, some mobility in that leg/ankle. I feel like the doctors are just sitting by and watching me deteriorate with their preverbale thumbs up their keisters. LOL

Sorry about the confusion.

[essdipity]

Hi, SB. If your foot and ankle are not swollen, and if you can put weight on them, nothing is likely to be broken, and especially if they aren't painful. Fractures hurt! I can say this as a veteran of 4 of them.

I'm guessing what's wrong is MS muscle weakness, caused by interrupted nerve signals. It would be good to have an evaluation by a PT. There's nothing that can be done if this is what's wrong, but maybe other muscles can take over a bit of the function. Don't try to do that on your own, as you risk making things worse.

Surgery can be very hard on us, and can make MS worse, temporarily, I hope.

ess