ANA Discussion Forum
Archive => Archives => Topic started by: onebadass350bird on April 28, 2006, 11:40:33 pm
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Anyone have any problems with with walking normally? I can walk only "ok", it doesn't exactly feel normal, and I kinda have to think about it while I'm doing it which I don't like. As far as I understand, this can be temporary or permanent but there is no way to tell untill enough time goes by. It kinda upsets me that I can only walk fast when I try but cannot jog or run. I just can't really get the motion down. Anyone has any experience with this?
Tom
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I have problems walking straight. I walk like I'm drunk esp. when I'm tired or just getting out of the elevator.
I haven't tried to jump or run.... I'm afraid to shake my head =)
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How long ago was your Op? I actually found out about my AN from a DUI arrest, they thought I was drunk too, and spent 9 hours in jail.
Tom
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oh, I'm sorry to hear that you have to spent time in jail. tsk...tsk...tsk... it must be an awful experienced.
I'm 5 months post op now. I'll be celebrating the magic 6 months post on May 15. I heard that I should feel a lot better by that time.
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Hi Tom,
Had problems walking right after surgery because they severed my balance nerve but was told to walk as much as I can so that my body could re-adjust itself. I did a lot of walking and it really helped. I am 9 months post surgery. I still notice some balance problems when I am tired or when I walk in the dark. I have talked to a lot of people who have tried Tai Chi and they say it has helped their balance tremendously although I have not personally tried it yet, I am definitely considering it. Hope things work out for you, Ann
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Tom I have the same gait problem. As long as I stay focused and concentrated I look normal. If I am tired or tyring to say talk while I walk I get more pronounced with the drunk walk. I have spent hours trying to perfect a normal walk and have seen slight improvement which I don't know I'd have seen without all the therapy.
YIKES hard way to find out your not a drunk by spending the night in the holding tank. Hopefully they dropped the charges and aplogized profusely? That was one of my biggest fears when I was sick and knew something was wrong was not being able to pass a sobriety test if I got pulled over and I don't drink lol Would have been right there with you!
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Desilu just mentioned thai chi in another thread. They do it twice a week at my therapy place for the senior group and it does work to help with balance. At least they seniors doing it all agree :o) My therapist has made a tape they use for therapy.
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Tom,
Believe me your gait will get better with time--I walked like a two year old for quite a while and still do in the dark or when I'm tired. Practice, practice practice. I can now run a mile on a treadmill, without hanging on--something I thought I'd never be able to do. I had to work my way up to it gradually. It takes a lot more concentration than it used to. I found the treadmill to be my very best PT tool.
I also do what's called the "bobblehead strut" on the treadmill in the gym--people must think I'm looney tunes walking fast and hanging on while I try to focus my eyes back and forth on different objects in the gym room. Pretty soon, I was able to do it with just one finger on the bar. And now I can do head turns while not hanging on for a while. (about 10 seconds) Just work your way into it. Practice, practice, practice.
Captain Deb 8)
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Sounds very familiar Capt Deb..."bobblehead strut" You do come up with some great terms that really fit! I still like "wondky headed" ;D
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The bobblehead strut will definitely give you Wonkyhead! ;D Not to mention the Ragin' Whizzies!
Capt Deb 8)
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We need to start a thread in addition to suzannes medical dictionary thread...
Capt Debs dictionary of famous and relevant AN terms....
B=bobbleheaded
W= wonky headed (my personal fav!)
R= Raging whizzies
wonder if we can get the doctors to understand these terms? ;)
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Tom,
I think what you're describing could be more in the area of a complication from having such a large tumor with brain stem involvement. I have a similar outcome,my gait is more of a wide base. I can walk ok, but cannot walk at a real fast pace, nor can I jog or run. This is different then a balance issue, it's the inability to jog or run. Over time I have improved in walking and balance. I'm able to hike, and go out in the woods but have not gained the ability to run. As I understand it in talking to my doctor it's related to the brainstem. There was concern in the beginning as to if I would be able to walk at all.
It's something that you might want to talk to your doctor or neurologist about for better understanding.
best to you
Chet
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Being new to the forums (just having had my surgery two weeks ago) I am having some good laughs thanks to you folks. I was advised to keep a good sense of humor during this process and apparently everyone else received the same great information. My family's favorite term for now is "Weeble". Taken, of course, from "Weebles Wobble but they don't fall down." I haven't fallen yet, but I certainly have had the weeble wobbles. I feel very fortunate after reading some of the responses. After just two weeks I can walk almost normal (as long as I don't sling my head around too fast). Haven't tried to jog yet but that will come I'm sure. I do wobble when I'm tired and I seem to be tired alot.
Keep us laughing, its good for the soul!
Dale
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Dale,
Have you tried the "Bobblehead Strut?" It is a PT excercise that invoves walking while doing head turns and focusing on distant objects. Makes ya walk like a 2 year-old at first, but it's a great excercise!
Capt Deb 8)
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Hi Dale and welcome! Food is good, drinks are not watered down and the jokes... well... try to laugh... ;)
Ah, the Weeble Walk... I've mastered it! Between my Chiari 1 and the AN (now 3-1/2 wks post Cyberknife radiosurgery), heck, I have no clue what throws me off balance! This past weekend, my bloke saw the car jump behind me (while standing next to it) to catch me when I went off balance! I've learned to "gracefully" weeble this way ann'a that way but keeping my eyes straight ahead. Now, should there come a time for me to dance at any event (ie: nightclub, wedding, etc), gawd, I hope I don't have to fast dance...... I think I'll sit those out!
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Tom,
I agree with Chet, some of these things may be due to Cerebellum issues. I believe that the Cerebellum is involved with processing of balance issues, including vestibular input ( or changing from having two vestibular systems to only one). Balance issues may be a, hopefully temporary, effect of having a larger AN press on brain structures, or maybe having the Cerebellum retracted during surgery.
My AN was smaller than yours, and the length of time in surgery was less. I'm able to walk OK, although if I move my head around too fast while walking I seem to wobble a bit. I can run, but it's really fairly unpleasent so far, internally it gives me a lurchy feeling since processing of moving visual data input seems to be slower.
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I'm not exactly sure that everyone understands what I'm talking about. Everyone here seems to have balance issues in some form or another, some worse then others. But what I was asking about is different. Gait actually affects the way the small motor muscles move in the leg, and how quickly they respond and move. If you've seem someone that has had a mild to severe stroke, you've probably seen gait in the way they'll walk, but they will often not have balance issues.
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Tom I know for me my walk is just as you described. I can walk fast on the treadmill holding on but have you to able to stimulate it on the sidewalk. Running or jogging is way out of the question. I could do it before my surgery but not now. Heck I went swimming the other day and could barefly haul myself out of the pool.
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Tom,
I see what you're talking about. Just after surgery my wife said my walk was different, but that has resolved.
I would think that one's gait is a burned in "memory". Your body has done it (walking) so many times that it's an ingrained thing. Sort of like a musician learning how to do an E chord on their instrument, after a lot of practise they can do an E chord without having to think about it.
With an AN our "feedback" systems, like the presure senses in our feet, or visual input about spacial location, can recieve different input than before. As far as gait, maybe our brain has to learn how to use the new input, or the long standing ingrained way of walking automatically (without much thought) is not working as before, and needs to be relearned.
Regards,
Rob
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All,
Tom is already familar with the term steppage gait, but for the rest of us here's a definition.
A gait in which the foot is raised high to avoid catching a drooping foot and is then brought down suddenly in a flapping manner
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Oh yeah--I know exactly what you are talking about--the wonky walk--sort of a two-step. Happened a lot at first, particularly on the left (AN) side. Lots better now--only occurrs when I'm really stirred up like after riding in a car or when I get off the treadmill and navigate around all the equipment to my chair.
Captain Deb 8)
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Well I've been on the treadmill alot lately. When I first got on in January, I could mantain 3.7mph while hanging on for dear life, lol. Now I can do 4.1mph while still holding on. My brother has told me that my left leg comes down a lot quieter now then when we first started going in Jan. so I think that is pretty positive. I'll admit though, I should pay more attention to HOW I'm walking, and not as much as how fast. For example, in order to make things easier, symetry is the key. I do think I still pick my left foot up slightly higher then my right like mentioned in the definition, now I guess that I need to try and relearn how to do it so well, like HeadCase mentioned, that I do it with out thinking about it, that's the goal. And as far as the 4.1mph goes on the treadmill, I'm not a tall guy by any means, so 4.1 was about my max walk even before surgery. So I guess the next step will be a slight jog. Hopefully that will come by the beginning of the summer.
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Hmmm I'm only up to 2.3 LOL I'm not allowed to hold on I get scolded! While walking that fast I also have to practice my head turns. If I concentrate real hard I can have a normal gait while out walking without assistance but if I don't stay focused I walk real funny. They keep telling me to walk quietly on the treadmill..problem is it sounds quiet to me due to the hearing thing. So I practice my ninja walk LOL
How are you walking slow on the treadmill? It's actually harder to do than fast. It is suppose to retrain your balance better?
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How are you walking slow on the treadmill? It's actually harder to do than fast. It is suppose to retrain your balance better?
Hmmmm...funny that you mention that. I do remember it being it easier to walk faster then slower. Does it kinda feel like you have a better stride going when walking faster? Maybe we should slow down a bit and focus on just WALKING normally, lol. Back to the basics for us huh?
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I spent months walking slow...I still start out slow and gradually build myself up to a faster gait. My goal at pt now is to lose weight while still maintaining. So while I walk fast i practice my head turns. I'm doing more weight training than therapy right now. My choice...or they are at least letting me think that it's my choice LOL
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I know I must be luckier than many of the rest and really don't have a lot of stories yet to tell, however, I can already walk better fast than slow. My dear wife calls it "controlled falling!" Sort of like a toddler trying to run across the room. I just don't have a padded bottom to fall on...(well, maybe I do have a big padded bottom but thats another story"
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Tom,
I have the same problem with my gait as you do. My left leg when I am tired is very out of wack when I walk. I have been doing the treadmill, but have yet to find the courage to let go. Everyweek i am increasing my speed alittle and also my time, but after i start getting tired. I know my left leg is funky, not sure how to explain in writing what happens. My BF says he can tell when I am getting tired by the way I walk.
After my initial surgery, i was unable to control my left side at all. My arm would move around on its own if I lifted it above my heart, kind of funny, it took me a while before I could get my left leg to work at all.
I also kick a soccer ball around with my BF or my son, I alternate using each leg. I run like Phoebe on Friends, it isn't pretty, but I try.
Denise
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Its been3 1/2 years since tommy left and I am now just starting to be able to look around a little at different things when I walk. I used to concetrate so much on every step I took and it took some of the fun out of walking, not being able to look at others as you pass by. I still walk slow. Can't run. Its hard to walk in the dark. I ride a three wheel bike. [that looks real cool}
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Yep! Now that it's stopped raining here, I took out some pretty shoes that I hadn't work since last spring/summer; I was appalled by the damage on the left toe! I remember that my left foot would drag alot and I had to think about placing each step. Definitely, both feet flapped to the ground and didn't alternate naturally or as they did pre-op.
My 4cm "Timmy" was on the right side but I read someone who had same-side walking issues. Also, it took several weeks for my right arm to swing when I walked. It was almost like I could only concentrate on 1 moving body part at a time. Getting off and on the treadmill was an adventure. Walking, while gripping the handles, was slow and I couldn't read at the same time.
I walk ok now but can't navigate as quickly or as well, but that may be more of a balance issue. For instance, if there's hunk-of-poo on the sidewalk and I try to side-step it or hop over it, then I might not make it!
I'm now 15m post-op. Walking has been going well so I got ambitious and tried running! It felt GREAT! I tried not to think about it too much and just let my body do it's thing. Pre-op, I ran 3 miles per day and I intend to get there again.
Your difficulties with walking will resolve themselves with lots of practice and time to for your brain to compensate.