Thank you to all of the men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces!
Since I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth, I wasn’t able to serve. I can remember feeling left out somewhat as many friends did and neighbors did.
I wish I could shake the hand of every Veteran in this country to show how grateful I am for everything you have done to protect our freedoms and the country. However, that’s not possible, so I say a hearty “THANK YOU!”
If you would have told me thirty or so years ago that I would be celebrating my wedding anniversary, much less my 25th, I would have laughed in your face! Why? As a young man with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), it was challenging enough to find a girlfriend much less one who would love me for me and looks past the deformed feet, lack of strength and ability, to love the real me.
As a young man, there were only two things on my mind. Women and sex. What else was there? Okay, so three. I wanted an education that would further me along in life. At this point in my life, I was a Christian and held to the virtues of being a Christian man, especially when dating. Why especially when dating? I was taught to respect the women I date, always treat the lady with my best manners, and have no sex before marriage. When I learned the value and responsibilities in all of that, I held onto them as I didn’t want to be disrespectful of women, nor did I want to be a very young father.
If you have Charcot-Marie-Tooth, you know your physical body is not like others. You know your physical challenges most likely will progressively worsen. And, I knew it. My feet had high arches and my muscular system doesn’t develop like other guys. I was scrawny and weighed around ninety-eight pounds. I was definitely not the hunk of athletes or even close. However, it wasn’t as important as I thought at the time.
The important thing I had to learn before I would find a wife and get married is to love myself. High arches and scrawny physical-self all of it. Also, I had to learn to be myself. I have a funny personality but if I am always thinking about CMT and its ramifications, it won’t shine through. It took more time to do all this than I had hoped but it worked.
Several years later, I met the most wonderful woman. She fell in love with me, what’s not to love, and I fell in love with her, what’s not to love? We recently celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We have been through life’s ups and downs together. She has been an awesome encourager when it comes to CMT and my challenges.
Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart.
Here’s to Twenty-Five More Years!
It seems like I am always saying this these days, WOW! time really flies by! They say, as you get older time flies faster. I’m inclined to believe it. Only yesterday, I was changing the clocks for Daylight Saving Time and now, I’m turning them back.
Having moved to the country earlier this year, quite a bit has changed. I’m hoping I remember to turn my clocks back tomorrow before I go to bed. Usually, I get up and start resetting the clocks back which are least used during the day. That way, if I forget, at least I will not miss church on Sunday.
I had put off being diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) as long as I could. However, the pain in my feet and lower legs had gotten so bad by age 22, that I needed to find out if it was CMT, or something else.
The doctor gave his diagnosis and I was right as expected. It’s CMT. He gave a prognosis of not being able to walk after age 40, would be using a wheelchair, that I should never run, should not do this, should not do that, and the list went on and on. Of course, being a young man and in college, sex was always on my mind but the doctor didn’t say much about the subject.
I left the doctor’s office pretty upset and disappointed. It seemed that my life was crushed or over. Everything was falling apart. I wanted to finish college, find a good job, find a wonderful woman to marry, and live happily ever after in our 4-bedroom home with 2.5 children and a dog. That seemed to be disappearing.
Most of the guys I knew or had seen in classes at college were in great physical shape. They were athletic, happy, and able to do just about what they wanted to do. I wanted that. However, it wasn’t going to happen.
When I look back, I believe that God had heard my silent cries of disappointment, and, hey, maybe even angry tears. I didn’t blame Him as it just never really occurred to me to do so and probably because to me, that was disrespectful. I don’t remember praying about it either. I wouldn’t see the extent of what God heard, saw, or felt until I went back to college in the fall.
After the diagnosis, I went back to what I was doing in life. Playing, working, running, and doing whatever. I went back to college in the fall as I wasn’t going to give in to this disease!
This post is intended to be the first of many about my use of braces and hiking boots to enable me to continue walking. It’s been a great journey, but, with some challenges. I hope that you will learn something helpful by my sharing these experiences. As always, speak with your doctor for specific medical advice.
The year was late 1999. The pain and issues with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) were really starting to be, well, very painful and challenging. Thankfully, I have a fairly positive attitude which was really helping me at this point. However, with the new challenges to walking, I needed some kind of assistance.
My wife and I had decided on a family doctor which I later learned was good about thinking “outside the box” for my care. She knew a doctor who made braces for people in many situations so I was referred to see her.
My appointment went well. It was the usual battery of tests to see how I walk, what seems to be wrong with my feet, and how she can help. Obviously, it’s CMT. However, as you may know, it affects everyone differently, even within the same family. For me, I had the blessing of having the most severe case. So, I didn’t have any family members to ask questions and went on my own way to learn how to help myself.
The Orthopedic doctor took a cast of my feet and calves from just below the knees down. I sat a few minutes, or less, while the casting material set. Once dry, she marked out the pressure points of my feet onto the cast. WOW! Well, with deformed feet, there are plenty of places to mark. Once she finished, a small saw machine was used to cut the mold. That was a weird experience as it grabbed more than a few leg hairs, that I have just spent all of my life growing, as it went up and down my leg. It wasn’t painful, just tingly weird. It did set my nerves off because of the constant vibration but once it settled, I was good.
I waited about two weeks for the braces to arrive and they finally did. I went to the orthopedics office to get them and I’ll admit that I was a bit discouraged about having to get these braces. Yes, I knew they would help me to walk and hopefully reduce the energy it takes for me to do it. However, it’s not how anyone would want to spend life.
The braces fit great. All I had to do was put them on and put the leather straps across my leg through a metal loop on the other side and tighten. Easy enough, yes. But, hardly the last step in this journey. Learning to walk again. Learning to drive again. Learning to just plain ol’ live again would be the new life for me… after I bought more than a few walking shoes a size larger than I normally would wear.
This post continues at: Charcot-Marie-Tooth: My Journey to using Arizona Braces.
Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated with Bemergroup. I receive no payment should you purchase their product. I purchased a product for personal use so I am sharing my experiences as a Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) patient. My experiences are not guaranteed to be yours.
A few months a month ago, I wrote a post about my frustrations with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) and COVID-19. You read can the post here. I want to share with you an update.
The effects of CMT began showing their ugly annoyances during late October 2020 as I had no Deep Water Aerobics classes, my Service Dog had passed away, and I had no other exercises. Bicycling had to end when the weather got cold. It seemed I was losing more ground on feeling good. However, my faith in God reminded me there is always hope.
After my Service Dog passed away, I began to realize that he had been doing quite a few things to help me. Something about dogs! Not only did he keep me moving, but, he managed to stave off many of the neurological issues associated with my type of CMT. Also, he helped my introverted-nerd personality become a little more extroverted. Fortunately, I was able to adopt another dog who is learning to be a companion. I am looking forward to seeing what she does to help me with CMT.
Since my last post about being introduced to the Bemer Group products, I bought the product and have been strictly following a daily routine as instructed by my Massage Therapist. Before I did this, I went through a few months of testing the product and learning the results, and going over them with her. Successful results led to having the therapy daily.
As you probably know already, CMT causes quite a bit of discomfort in many ways. I lived in shorts and T-shirts most of the fall-winter season as I could not be comfortable in other clothing. For me, that’s unusual because of the cold. Thankfully, the treatment with Bemer Group has helped me with relief from the discomfort.
The best part of the Bemer daily routine is I can do it at home from the comforts of my own bed. It’s the first thing I do every morning and at the end of the day. My routine takes 16 minutes with both sessions. The short bit of time has given me quite a bit of energy as I have never had before.
For me, I have noticed that the arthritic pain in my hands has gone away. The winter of 2020-2021 was the first one in which I did not have to take pain medications to ease the arthritis pain. Also, I have noticed an awesome increase in energy level which has caused renewed interest in many aspects of my life.
Now, I just need to find an exercise routine to make up for not taking the Deep Water Aerobics classes.
Talk with your doctor and neurologist about Bemer Group products.
Please note: Bemer Group products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. I am writing about my experience. Please consult your own physician or healthcare provider if you have any medical concerns.
These days, there are a bazillion ways to get help with what ails you! From medications to meditations, exercises to yoga, man-made devices to holistic therapies to psychological. The list could go on and on and on but I think you get my point. These days, Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) patients have plenty of choices.
While I have had to use some medications over the years to keep me from having too much pain, needle-nerve pain is the worst, it is not usually my first choice. Needle-nerve pain feels like a thousand needles prickling me. However, I have not had to take any medication for muscle pain which thrills me to no end.
My first resource when dealing with the pain, new or old, is to call on the name of “Jesus!” Yes, “Jesus!” Sometimes I repeat “Jesus” several times. And, not at all in a profane way, as some might do. I pray that He helps me to get through the challenges of the pain. He does but in many different ways -that’s for another post. Sometimes the pain returns but He is there with me to help me with it too.
Many people will ask, “well, if Jesus can help with the pain, why doesn’t He stop it?” I have to say, “I do not know the answer to that question. When I ask Him He doesn’t always answer that question. One time, I learned it was because a friend needed to see His Power. However, I trust Him and have seen His Mighty Power help me so many times it’s an incredibly awesome experience. Also, many years ago, the serious pain I was suffering led a girlfriend to become a Christian. To me, that is worth it all. While I cannot explain everything in the Bible or how God works, I would say to be careful around someone who tells you they have all the answers to your questions. If someone claims to have all the answers, RUN!
I have a simple strong faith. My faith isn’t ground in having all the answers. It is ground in the Promise that Jesus says He will never leave or forsake me. I trusted Him with my life many years ago and He has NEVER EVER let me down. And, He never will!
If you would like to learn more about the Christian Faith, Jesus, God, and the Bible, please visit Peace With God.
While Summer is my favorite season, Spring is the close second. It means time for me to get outside much more often. Also, I plan to begin a new exercise routine this season since Deep Water Aerobics was cancelled and never restarted.
If you remember from a previous post, I started a routine this winter using a Bemer Group product (no affiliation, more about it later) which helped tremendously with the cold weather. My current thought is to start biking. It will help my legs to get more exercise and something for me to do outside!
I am planning to explore my universe with my new dog more this spring and summer. There are several places that I can go railfanning so we will explore them as well as hike a few battlefields!
How do you celebrate Spring? Any new exercise routines? Please share in the comments below!
Well, if I were a betting man, I would be richer today than I was a year ago. Why do I say all that? Somehow, I knew COVID-19 was going to be an issue with its lockdown nonsense at least into the election season. Most people seriously doubted me. As more stringent lockdowns began in some parts of the country, my frustrations continue as the “lockdowns” have harmed more people than we really know.
While I understand the need to be careful because of a virus. I’m not seeing where any pre-cautions are any different than those I was taught as a very young boy probably soon after birth! My mother taught me not to put my hands in or on my mouth, do not pick my nose but use a tissue, do not cough into my right hand since you might shake someone’s hand, wash your hands frequently and often (I know, right?!), stay away from people who are coughing or have a cold. Common sense health care, right? Right.
My first and foremost frustration is how diligently I worked for many years, probably close to twenty, to help me feel better and stay ahead of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). It’s been proven that if you stay active, you can slow the effects of CMT, though not truly stop it or cure you. I have been careful not to be lazy or take the easy way out with many aspects of life so I would stay active. When the governor of Virginia closed everything in the wake of COVID-19, it really upset me because he was messing with my health- along with many others.
Back in 2006, while in physical therapy sessions I learned quite a few exercises to help me with some pain. At the same time, I had started taking Deep Water Aerobics (DWA) classes. It wasn’t long before I connected the exercises in the physical therapy to the exercises in DWA and realized it could be very beneficial to continue taking the DWA classes. After that, I made sure not to miss any classes as it was more fun than going to physical therapy. In the time prior to the COVID shutdowns of March 2020, I never missed more than a few classes at a time. Now, it’s been about a year.
Thankfully, during the summer of 2020, I was able to use a friend’s pool to workout. Thanks to my brilliant Deep Water Aerobics Instructors who provided excellent instruction prior to COVID and provided me an instruction list to a workout routine. Also, I took up riding my bicycle every day along with walking my dog. This routine helped me through to the fall season when it finally got to cold to swim or ride my bike.
Since it doesn’t seem like my DWA classes at the local fitness center will ever start up again, I inquired about personal training sessions. However, the classes would be very expensive, possibly unreliable with the whims of the politicians these days, and there would be no use of the locker room to change. Not good. I could change in the hallway bathroom but I am not too interested in sharing my naked self with the world as I just knew the door would open at an inopportune time. The other choice was to go home in a wet bathing suit. For me, CMT affects my nerves which happens to NOT mix well with cold water and winter weather. A recipe for nerve issues and becoming ill. So it didn’t work out.
Fortunately for me, I have learned to pay quite a bit of attention to my body and what I do to make it feel better or worse. I learned that continuing to have my massage therapy and chiropractor sessions, but spaced at least a week apart, and scheduling every three weeks would mean minimal discomfort.
The blessing in all of this frustration is coming, I believe. My massage therapist is always on the lookout or learning new ways to help people feel better. Not too long after my frustrations of no Deep Water Workouts began, she introduced me to a new type of therapy called “Bemer.” Since it is what I call holistic, meaning no medications involved, I was willing to try it.
My journey into using the Bemer product to help me feel better with guidance from my massage therapist has begun. I will share updates as I can.
Please remember, my experiences are my own and cannot be guaranteed to provide you with the same results. CMT affects each person differently. Discuss any exercise routines or products with your doctor.
I hope and pray that you have a blessed New Year! Remember, often, life is what you make it. If you focus on the negative, that’s the way it will be! If you focus on the positive, that’s what you’ll see and remember. Sounds crazy? Try in 2021 and see how the year goes.
Happy New Year!