I went to two one India born fellow the first time decided I didn't like him he was out of touch. Seemes th think everyone could just change jobs at the drop of a hat and had zero concept of pay and benefits. He seemed to not realize not everyone was in a high demand medical field and could easily move from one good paying job to the next.

When my legs stopped working right a few years later( really had do concentrate on them to get them to move more one side than the other it was difficult to get them to work) so I got a referral to a different one. this one was an old Chinese fellow he was OK BUT both wanted to do spinal taps.

I had had MRIs done both times with and without contrast one of the times. In fact the first one was when my back went out and I had fallen a few times as well once off the bed of the utv. My family Dr. ordered the MRI's low back all the way to my head to check me out and in his office getting the results was the first time I was told possible MS and got sent to the first neurologist.

They had an MRI infact he sent me for more 6 months later I think I had 3 total. Bots said it looks like it could be MS but wanted more testing and with each test more test until it was like thay keep guessing and the next test is still guessing and it's results won't matter. So they had the MRI's more lesions on the later ones but still wanted more test. maybe more test just = more money? Both times I missed work hit my out of pocket max on insurance and since I didn't want a spinal tap( not fond of invasive guessing or the idea of anything getting stuck in my spine) When my legs got good enough I could pull off going to work I went back to work.

Now I have fallen 2 times in the last month and a half has me thinking thanks to this thread. grr but both of those are easily just triping Over things and off the wood pile when it fell out from under me.
At the end of the day I'm not likey to take any meds so it's pointless unless I would need to file a disability claim and in the past I had been to the point that would have been needed had I not improved I'm hoping I don't ever get to that point. That's been a huge driving force in all the Hour's I have been working though. 2 reasons 1.To get to the point my family would be OK if I did end up disabled. 2. I read the disability crap I'd figured on yout top 10 earning years so more hours and money= debt free and big ticket things taken care of so less income is needed 2 the bi product of #1 I'm making more $ and IF I end up unable to work ever the big earning years should help to get more if what I read was correct but it's not something I have really looked into fingers crossed I will never need to.

I’m getting older but I’ve avoided falling so far.

That’s a good thing because at 66 I’m still doing scaffold work and I don’t think I’d bounce back from a fall.

Read the mail when you get in the house, not on the way.

PF, My wife has gone through 4 neurologists before finding the one she's with now. She's Ukranian and is considered one of the big names in treating MS.

She's tried a whole host of things and finally hit on one that helps with her walking and balance. She hasn't had any new lesions in about 5 years (knock on wood). She does get really bad during summer. Heat seems to really affect people with MS. It will make her off balance, cognitive issues, and feel like she can't cool down. When we went to S.D. a few years ago it was 105 during the day. I took her to a spa out there the one day that had ice baths. That seemed to help her for a day or 2. We the AC in the car on high the whole way home. I looked like I as going on an arctic expedition while she looked like she was going to the beach.

Her exacerbations range from mild ( simple fatigue) to severe that require her to be hospitalized.

They say it isn't hereditary, but her mom had it and her one niece has it.

My wife has been dealing with it for 30 yrs now. She does a lot of puzzles, reads a lot. Just a lot of things to keep her mind active.

There are 2 different kinds of MS. Remitting/relapsing. Which my wife has. If you have MS it is the one you want to have. The other is progressive in which you go from fine to a wheelchair in a short period of time from first symptom. The R/R kind can turn into progressive.

My wife had a really successful nursing career cut short because of the cognitive issues she ended up with. She was smart enough to realize she couldn't figure out med doses, had to have the doctors repeat orders 2 or 3 times before it sunk in. IT killed her to get out of nursing, but knew for the safety of the patients she had no other choice.

My wife was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis in the late 90's with symptoms very much like MS. In about 2001 she was diagnosed with MS. We began quite a journey of life changes to accommodate her illness. She has the relapsing/remitting MS and has had some pretty rough relapses. Her Neurologist was good and she was on a series of medications and infusions that reduced the frequency of flare-ups. Every time she had one though, she lost a little that she did not get back.

MS was in her family. Her maternal Grandmother had it, as did her maternal Uncle. Her younger sister has Crohn's which is another auto-immune disease.

She is 67 years old now. When she was about 60 her Neurologist said that some studies had shown that when the patient his the age of about 62, that MS sometimes went into remission so the scary decision was made to take her off her medications. She has had yearly MRI's and there has been no increase in her lesions.

Unfortunately she came down with 2 forms of cancer, tongue and thyroid. Rochester/Mayo performed miracles and today is Day 232 cancer-free. It necessitated radiation and chemo after surgery, and the radiation really ticked off the lesions. She now uses a wheelchair out of the house nd a walker inside.

It had been quite a journey and we made many changes in our lifestyle. But we are still together, happy, and laugh hard together every day. She is tough as nails and does not allow the disease to be something that is feared. She goes on with life and takes in all the joy it offers, even though it throws her a few curves now and then. While it knocks her down some, she will not let MS beat her.

Hang in there and enjoy life.

Moosetrot

I have vertigo (several bad ear infections when younger) showed up about 13 years ago. I don't take meds and it is not curable, but have not a real bad acute bout for 6 years. I do exercised to train my brain for balance. Walking on uneven surfaces while looking up (grouse hunting) is much harder. Walking in the dark is not fun either. As I age I am losing more strength and with the vertigo falling gets to be more common. I can catch myself pretty well yet. I watch myself a lot more as injuries can be really limit me when I am getting older. A few days away from 77. Not ready to set and look out the window yet.

Bryce

Walking around in a jon boat holding 60 lb beavers has caused me to lose balance a time or two. I don't bounce quite as good as I used to but still doing OK at 67.

A couple bloated beavers under your arms is better than a lifejacket.

My mother was diagnosed with MS in her late 30's was disabled and struggled with mobility the rest of her life. She passed at 83. I think an exercise regimen could have been helpful. But, she would not do this. My father is 89 and as expected has balance issues and does the shuffle. Myself at 62, I can tell I do not have the balance and strength of a few years ago. I think yoga and other exercises help a lot. But, I also think strength training might be most helpful. Most of that I get cutting hedge posts and building fence. Feels like a lot but need to do more. Gotta keep moving!

The last time I fell, I looked around to see if anyone was holding up cards, with scores. It was a spectacular fall, complete with arms flailing the air and feet going in all directions. It was kind of a letdown not seeing judges.

I am a lot more careful. Balance and agility are definitely diminishing. Slowly. I am still doing most anything I want. Just not as much or as fast. Strength/endurance is less also.

Sadly it probably wouldn't have. My wife was on her feet 12 hours a day, then would come home and ride her bike for a little while. It actually seemed to make it worse at times.

My wife fell about 3 weeks ago. She ordered a new area rug for the living room and the delivery guy put it on the front porch. I carried it in to allow it to warm up so I could roll it out. She stepped over it to go get the mail. But was reading the mail. Walked in. Turned locked the door back. Face planted after tripping on rolled up rug. Sprained both wrist and fractured radial bone in right elbow. Just before final exams. I been in trouble since. Lol

See?
It's this kind of out of the box thinking that keeps me coming back!

I had two what I thought funny not really falls more a tip over this year. Not so humorous part is they both happened when I had a gun in my hands. I have only mentioned it here but I have a type of MD that has affected my strength and balance. I am as of this last October consider disabled.
The funny tip overs both happened while hurting. This spring I hobbled into the woods with my son turkey hunting. I'm sitting on one side of logging road my son was sitting on other side. Had a bird gobbling somewhere couple hundred yards behind my son to his right.. I'm sitting flat on my butt on ground back against tree facing my son across the trail, was expecting any birds to show on my left in front of my son. But like they do I look right and dozen birds are standing hard right looking right at me. My son had no idea the birds were even there as they were at his back. So anyways I now got a bird literally about 10 ft of my right shoulder. Starts that I'm going to bust away things. So I figured now or never. Tried to swing the gun hard right for snap shot. Swung the gun and kept right on going. Back slide off the tree I was leaning against and I flopped over on my right side like a fish. Watched dozen birds take flight while I'm laying there laughing like a fool. My son said he turned his head just in time to see me fall over. Wondering what was I doing.. heard the birds bust but never seen them.
Second tip over was just couple weeks back opening weekend of deer season. Sitting on my little chair that locks on to tree. Dang deer pops out of the ground 40 yards almost straight behind me. I'm looking over my right shoulder at it gun is on my left side. So I was going to drop down off my stool on my left knee left side of the tree. I've made this same move left or right dozens of times in my life. This time I slide off stool to my left knee and kept right on going. As I heard the deer bolting off. I'm now laying on my back like a turtle all four legs in the air. If course my response to that is just to lay there and laugh at myself. No harm no foul. Just what Im dealing with.
I know this is another one of my big long stories. I didn't actually fall per say during these two stunts. What I did do was add two more things to my use to do list. I won't try those moves again should I ever get the chance.
Yesterday I spent about two hours blowing snow. I can still use my big snow blower like a walker. I do have to be careful when I back the machine up so don't go on my butt. Ask me how I know LMAO.
Whole plan for me is to just keep moving. I'm soon to be 68 my older brother now 72. He also has the same MD and can now only move with a walk or on his scooter. He can tell you about falling and not getting back up without help.

Mac

My wife has MS, diabetes, and essential tremors, I tell her she's a mess, ,,walks with a cane just not very well, last time she fell it was really hard to get her up. But get her behind a shopping cart and she's like speed racer, lol
All the meds they tried she was allergic to, so she doesn't take anything now, she is, was, an artist and had to quit years ago, she can crochet though so that keeps her busy, she makes small dog beds for the Vet hospital to wrap the little guys after they get the last needle....

She also has it in her family, and my daughter has it too. it's a insidious disease that effects everyone in the family, I had to sell my hunting property cause I can't leave her by herself too long, there's no one left to stay with her....

All that said, she found a "rescue chair" couple weeks ago on the puter, it has a seat that lowers to the ground, you squirm over and sit in the seat and a battery powered winch raises you to a sitting position so you can stand up, supposed to handle 300#....Might have to consider that if you have a falling down risk....

No one ever said life was easy,,,

Having this kidney failure I have neuropothy in my feet so I do trip a bunch more than I used to. The falling spells I get is from blood pressure being too low. Last time I got off the coudh too quick and on the way to the ktchen I could feel I was going down. Before I could control my landing I went down and smacked my face into my walking stick. Broke my nose on it, one of the only times I had a nose bleed, still kind of tender.Getting up is harder too, couple of times this summer I had to crawl back to the house

I think sometimes falling is caused by maybe a bad knee or hip. As we age, some of those things start to wear out and can cause a fall.
Watching your feet, if you can see them, should keep you from running into things.

Tuck & Roll!...The antidote for being old.

Next you will be telling me to start wearing those shoes that light up so I can see in the DARK. lol