#foot drop

[elementop123]

Yesterday, I met with Brie, the potential service dog prospect that my trainer has been evaluating for me over the past 2 months. We worked together at Lowe's for an hour. She was a fast learner, curious and unanxious about her surroundings but easy to refocus on me, and quick to settle if I put her in a down or even just held still long enough (and this is without formal training). She did fine with merchandise, forklifts and other machines, people in all sorts of situations (up ladders, carrying big things, petting her), other dogs both neutral and reactive, carts, and my wheelchair (never having seen one before). The only issue is she has some prey drive outdoors. We didn't see that during our time together yesterday, but they're a little worried about her pulling on me too hard in my power wheelchair, with my pain and stability issues, before we've worked through this. I don't think this is a deal-breaker, though. I think she is the most fantastic candidate we're going to find at a rescue, and I can always use my cross-body leash and both my chest and waist strap in my wheelchair when outside to make sure we are both safe if she pulls suddenly.

Her adoption fee is $400, and her training is $110 per session. We also need $250 for an accessible porta potty for an upcoming fundraising event. If you want to help, donate directly to my dog trainer with the name Ezekiel Goff in the memo at:

PayPal: paypal.me/PACTFund

Venmo: @PACT_FUND

Don't forget to put Ezekiel Goff in the memo for the money to go towards my account.

[thelastwhimzy]

since my SMOs got repaired this week, I wanted to show y'all how much they helped my walking! here's a video, is going to post it and add text but tiktok is going down in a few hours so I'll probably post and edit it on insta instead:

it's not a super obvious difference and I think that's part of why it kept getting missed but I found out that I probably have foot drop! I didn't think that I had it before because I thought that it meant not being able to lift your foot at all but I guess there's varying degrees depending on the person / severity. I'm not sure how noticeable it is, but I definitely see it - in the second clip, I am wearing my regular shoes and when I step there's a moment where don't lift my foot up correctly. I guess it's also called toe walking? it's common in autism and I always thought that meant being on your tippy toes but it does not LOL

but yeah I'm pretty sure it's because of neuropathy / spinal issues but there is a possibility that it's something I've dealt with my whole life. I always thought that the reason why it would drop down like that was because I was used to pointing my toes and that since I can a manually lift my foot up if I try that it's not an issue 😭 after a day of walking with the SMOs on I can see a huge difference in my stability! very happy about it TBH

[hyper-linc]

“Growing up, [basketball] was easy for me,” he continues. “It’s like going up the elevator. It’s easy for you. Then, I fell all the way down. Now, this time, I’m having to climb the stairs slowly. … It’s like I’m walking in my purpose through this, more than if everything would have just been smooth for me.”

It took time to see that, to shift his mentality from sadness to acceptance. Even though his path looked different, he realized, it could still be meaningful.

He is reminded of that before every game, when he slips on a brace over his left foot, tucking it underneath his sock. He can’t play without the brace, given how his injuries have impacted his left leg.

“I’m still not fully pain free,” he says. The brace, also known as an ankle foot orthosis, or AFO, was specifically designed for older people in recovery from strokes or other nerve damage. Porter Jr. is wearing it while chasing after some of the best athletes in the world. He believes he is the first NBA player to wear such a brace.

It isn’t easy to play with, as it severely restricts his natural movement, making the way he’s able to defend quick forwards even more impressive. But it helps stabilize him, preventing injury and essentially allowing him to have more normal flexion and extension of his foot. If he didn’t have it, he’d literally trip over himself because he wouldn’t be able to pull his foot up when running. The AFO is critical in aiding that particular movement, also known as dorsiflexion.

He used to dread putting on the brace when he first started wearing it. It wasn’t just because it limited his freedom on the court, but also because it reminded him of what he had lost. But now, before each game, he thanks God that such an apparatus exists, because without it: “My career would’ve been over.”

Michael Porter Jr. Finds Meaning After Almost Losing Basketball

Three back surgeries in five years changed everything for Porter Jr. and put his NBA career in jeopardy. But what the former phenom lost in

[a-muscaria]

hisyetisgirl replied to your post “Am I the only one who’s too scared to make a decision whether to have...”

Just dropping in to see how you are doing? Hope your procedure went well... 💐🤗 @a-muscaria                   

Thanks a lot, @hisyetisgirl! So far it seems the surgery went well. I can’t tell the difference yet (other than having Frankenstein legs right now), but the doctors are satisfied and the surgery hasn’t triggered any new problems. And that’s all I can ask for, so I’m very happy about it. Perhaps even a bit less stressed about the following surgeries. For now. I can always freak myself out later.

[mslifelines]

Foot drop is when you lose the ability to control the muscles that flex the ankle as a result of damage to nerve cells. That can make it tougher to lift your feet while walking and manage uneven surfaces. So you’ll want to watch out for snowy weather if this is something you’re experiencing!

[elementop123]

I got stuck in my bed this morning. I can't go from laying to sitting without external help, like the electronic sitting up function of my hospital bed or, on a good day, leveraging myself sideways and out with the bars. Today was not a good day. I had slid down the bed and couldn't reach the button to sit up, but I was too far down the bed for it to work if I had been able to reach it, and I was too weak to sit up with the bars after a night of my chronic vomiting flaring. It was 30 minutes after my aide's shift starts, so I called out for her, hoping she could get me up with my gait belt and into my wheelchair, but she didn't come. After a while, I checked my phone to discover that she had called off, and the coverage couldn't get there for 90 minutes.

[a-muscaria]

Am I the only one who’s too scared to make a decision whether to have a surgery or not?  Due to my funny combination of disorders I’ve had a lot of nerve and arterial damage over the years and when I need a surgery, it’s usually an emergency and not much of a choice. But this time it’s totally my choice. I’m having the first in a series of surgeries of my feet next week. If it all goes well, I should be able to walk again, so I was absolutely sure I wanted these surgeries. And now I’m freaking out that it was the worst decision ever, doctors never succeeded in repairing my damaged nerves anyway, so this won’t help at all and my HNPP-related symptoms will only get worse again as it often happens whenever I have a surgery. And I'm used to my wheelchair, so why am I trying my luck anyway? 2018 wasn’t a very good year for me health-wise and I couldn’t move much for most of the year. Now that I’m getting better, I’m scared I’ll just needlessly trigger new problems again. Ah, well. Sorry for the rant, I’m just panicking. I hate hospitals. May be it’s cowardly, but I prefer it when doctors make decisions for me and when something goes wrong, it’s not my fault. But I’m really determined to have the most movable feet in existence. Ballerinas better watch out.

[rehabstride]

👟 Reclaiming Your Stride: Why It’s Time to Ditch the Clunky Braces

If you or someone you love deals with foot drop, you already know the daily struggle with traditional AFOs. For years, the standard options have been rigid and frustrating. They typically lack adjustability, unnaturally restrict your ankle's movement (plantar-flexion), and force you to buy specific, permanently modified shoes just to get around. Plus, they completely lack a quick-release mechanism for those moments when you just need to sit down and rest.

Enter a total game-changer for the mobility aid community: RehabStride™.

This isn't just another passive, rigid piece of plastic; it’s an advanced drop foot brace that functions like having a personal physiotherapist by your side. Instead of just holding your foot in a frozen position, this afo brace for foot drop actively promotes the recovery of your dorsi-flexion muscle strength. As your muscles get stronger, you can gradually minimize your reliance on the cable assistance until the device is no longer required!

Here is why this specific foot drop brace is such a massive upgrade for daily life:

Wear Your Own Shoes: It features universal footwear compatibility, easily integrating with most of the shoes already in your closet without requiring expensive modifications.

Quick Rest Mode: It includes an innovative quick-release mechanism. Whether you are sitting at your desk, driving, or grabbing coffee, you can instantly release the tension for essential rest without taking the entire brace off.

Natural Walking: Using an easy-adjust dial system and tension-adjustable cables, it allows for a natural push-off, smoothly springs your foot upward to clear the ground, and ensures a precise heel strike to prevent tripping and falling.

Mobility aids should give you more freedom, not tie you down to one pair of bulky shoes.

✨ Discover unbounded mobility and learn more at RehabStride.com