Almost got run over :(

[tenai98]

Yesterday in the Walmart parking lot. I had two very light bags in my hands, one bag in each hand. One bag had a bathing suit in it, the other 9 boxes of crystal light, so bags were ight. I also had a pop in one hand, then I dropped in. I bent down (bad move) to retrieve it when I lost my balance. Just at that point a truck was pulling into the parking space. I ended up crashing into the side of the truck. If it would have been a few seconds earlier, he would have hit me with his front end. I was more embarassed then anything. How long does it (if ever ) for the balance to return? on average?  I thought I was doing well at over 6 weeks post op. The doc never sent me for P.T. saying I didnt need it. This has scared the daylights out of me. I dont want to go shopping by myself anymore. In hindsight, I should have kept the cart with me til I got to my car and not carry the bags. As for the wonky head, I'm more light headed when I'm tired or overdo something.  I feel almost normal ( head wise) most days but when this lighthead comes on I can certainly feel my balance go off..
JO

[ppearl214]

Hey Jo

well, first things first... I'm glad you are ok and weren't (or almost!) hurt by the truck!  Glad you're safe.

Oh, this one hit home with me, but in a different situation.

when I walk our small dog (Queenie Beanie for you newbies here...... she's been part of the forums for a number of years now)... and I have to bend down to *ahem* "scoop her bidness" (you catch the drift), gawd forbid I lower my head. You bend down to get your soda drink and I bend down to clean up after Beanie... in my case, not pretty at all.  I tip over.. have to use my hand to place on the ground so I don't completely fall over.  I also run into the same thing when I lower my head to tie my shoes... or lower my head for other reasons (lean down to pet the dog, pick up something that fell, etc)

After many years here, I've read the balance forum and read what others note about vestibular exercises, etc.  I have had my own neuro-onc work with me by giving me some exercises as well.  For me, I question the ability to get back any form of our balance, for what it was pre-AN (pre-AN treatment). 

Like you, I hold onto a shopping cart as long as I can. I already use a cane everyday in my walking (for balance and other medical reasons). 

I'll follow this thread as I'd like to read inputs from others on this as well. Maybe I'll learn a few tricks from others on how they deal with it.

Phyl

[CHD63]

Jo .....

Thank goodness you are OK!  I guess it takes a scare like you had to remind us that the imbalance is ever present on some level for most of us.

Although I no longer use a cane, I have learned when I have to be extra careful.  Large crowds of people really throw me for a loop.  It seems I have no stable visual source in that situation and I always try to stay near a stable object, e.g. wall, railing, furniture, etc.  I always grab a cart in a parking lot to push in a store and keep it until I am back out in the lot.  However, from what you are describing it was the leaning over to pick up the soda drink that was your undoing.  I always try to hang onto something or lean up against something before leaning over.

One of the vestibular exercises I was told to do is stand in the corner of my kitchen cabinets, with feet slightly apart.  Then I take an object (bottle, cone, whatever) and bend down to my left foot, bring it back up above my head to the right, keeping my eyes steadily on the object.  Then reverse, lower right to upper left and then low center to above head center ..... always keeping eyes on the object.  Do it slowly at first, increasing speed as you can without getting dizzy.  The point is to do it as fast as you can to just  before getting dizzy.  Slow down if you start getting dizzy.  Do it 10 times in succession each direction (total of 30 bends each repetition).  I have found this exercise has greatly improved my imbalance when standing back up again from leaning over.

Be careful and let us know how you are doing.

Clarice

[Jim Scott]

JO ~

Whew!  I'm glad you were able to avoid serious injury because of your imbalance.

To be honest, I'm just a few weeks shy of my 3-year surgery anniversary, had no real complications and have pretty good balance - but not what I once had (pre-AN/surgery).  So, I agree with Phyl that we probably never get our balance back to where we were before developing AN symptoms and having treatment, be it surgery or radiation.  If I happen to trip or stumble (which is rare) I find I have a real struggle to regain my equilibrium - or at least to regain it as quickly as I once did. 

Six weeks isn't all that long.  I would give it six months, maybe a year.  I would also advise that you may never regain 100% of your ability to balance and/or quickly regain your balance from this point on, but because we're all unique, you may do even better than most.  I figure I have close to 90% of my (former) balance and I'm good with that - because one thing I've learned from my AN experience is that you have to make allowances and expect some deficits, even with a very good surgical outcome and recovery, which we seem to have both enjoyed.  Well, nothing is perfect. 

Jim

[cin605]

Sorry to hear about your fall...I have had afew also.Just today i went to lunch w/ mom & shopping we were getting up to leaave the
restraunt after having gone shopping me driving....i got up & bumped right i nto a petition.Nope didn't need a cocktail today to bounce!