Just as I pulled up to Barwis, Chris and his girlfriend, Emily were coming out of the door. After she got Chris all situated in the car, she came over and asked if i needed any help. My legs were STILL not out of the car. I asked her to pull my legs out and explained that I have Multiple Sclerosis and how the “meltdown” is effecting my body and it is stiffening up with all of the precipitation in the air. We talked for a little bit and she told me of Chris’ sporting accident. I told her that having MS, (Jesse told me) is like having an accident every day. I often remind myself of what Jesse said almost 2 years ago. Chris has been coming to Barwis since January and I told her that I have been coming for 20 months. She asked if I needed any more help and I told her that I had it and that Deeds will pull me into the gym. I thanked her again for her help and transferred and opened the door.
Deeds pulled me in as he ALWAYS does. When it was my time, Mike pulled me over to the blue table and sat me on it. He had me remain sitting as he kneaded my calves and then had me move my left leg and foot outward 5 times. Now, normally, first is ALWAYS the worst but in this case – first was the BEST because my legs tired VERY QUICKLY! He had me do the same for my right leg and then had me lift my left knee up 5 times. My legs tired just as quickly but I did it for both sides and tried my best NOT to use my upper body to over compensate for my legs. Then he had me lay back and as I did, I told him that PNF stands for Proprioreceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. He looked surprised and pleased that I knew it and he asked if I looked it up and I shook my head and smiled. He thought Jesse told me and I shook my head again. He asked, “Mike?” and I shook my head again. I waited to build suspense and then I told him that I texted Nick.
He asked me again what it meant and I repeated it. I told him that Phil told me all about proprioreceptors. He asked what he told me and I kind of shrugged and told him I didn’t remember. I thought and remembered it was a science-y and didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I also remember failing that online test. I asked him when we were going to work on PNF and he again asked me what it stood for. I told him that I wasn’t going to forget and told him what it stood for again. Then he told me to push into him with my leg as he was stretching it. I tried with all of my might and remembered doing a form of this with Phil. We’d do manual leg curls and I remember pulling my leg down well (I thought) and I would smile and kind of raise one eyebrow and ask him, “How you like them apples?!” He wouldn’t say anything and then would tell me to do it again but would hold my foot where no matter how much I pulled my legs down, it wouldn’t move and he would give me a look similar to the one I gave him to tell me how much he liked those apples and then we both would laugh. I asked Mike if he felt my pushing and he said, “a little bit.” Well that’s poo!!!
He had me roll over onto my stomach and commented on my mobility. It IS getting easier to control my body. The cold is not arresting it so much! He put me back in my car and took me outside. He put me in my car and wished me a good weekend. But I guess I see progress. It has taken 20 months but it’s there, “a little bit.”