Am I the only person who has trouble walking

Hi All,
I have been reading over a bunch of the last threads and I see that everyone walks everyday and I don't understand how you do it. I mean I am on my feet a lot of the day dealing with my five kids but to walk is beyond me. I have a treadmill which I bought because i knew i had to walk and after a few days i had such bad pain in my feet i could barely stand up. so it is now a great clothes hanger. As for taking walks outside, everyone but i mean everyone walks faster than me which is depressing, we all walk a little together friday night and i am so far behind i can barely see them i only have one of my sons who tries to make a point to look back and when he sees he has gotten too far ahead he comes back and walks next to me again but most of them don't have the patience. My husband and I had started walking together and we kept it up for a couple of months until he admitted that it really annoyed him to walk so slow that he wanted to walk for excercise and this was just frustrating him so we stopped. ( and i was very hurt) I try so hard with so many things in life to keep up but i always feel like i am trailing behind or holding others back and it is a terrible feeling. I have tried pushing through the pain and it only got worse . When i comes to family trips with hiking i don't go and it feels bad to be left behind but at least i feel like i am not pushing myself beyond my limits because i always pay for it in big pain dollars when i don't listen to the limitation of my body. ( i have a million stories like this but i won't bore you with all of them)
So i return to my original question, am I the only person who can't walk??

I have fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, IBS, photosensitivity, daily tension headaches, chronic tendinitis especially in my writs and shoulders, back pain for the last 20 years after a slipped disk, dizziness and nausea ( possible an inner ear problem being checked out now), vertigo and everyday something new seems to pop up arggggggggg
Your truly,
OneDay (my kids favorite show)

Hi One day,

No, you are not the only one who has trouble walking.  I also have trouble walking and others here do too.  I think a lot of us do not walk very far.  I walk every day, but only 10 minutes at a time.  That usually helps the fibro, walking a little at a time. 

I also use a cane or a walking stick.  It helps me go further with less pain.  You can get these great walking sticks at sports stores.  I got mine at REI or somewhere like that.  Oh, and I am pretty slow a lot of the time.  We go on vacation with friends and I lag behind.  Hubby has finally learned not to leave me.  Once everyone went far ahead and I got stuck on the stairs and almost didn't get to the top.  Now they are better.

Good luck!

Sue

Robin, I gave him a big hug, actually i give him a lot of hugs he is a great wonderful boy with a beautiful soul. He is becoming a teenager so I pray a lot that he won't change too much. I don't use a walking stick yet I am 37 but i do have a sort of electric wheel chair that i can take apart and take in the car with me if i have to go some somewhere when i know i am going to walk far. maybe a walker is a good idea or a walking stick but can i find something cool looking that doesn't make me feel like my 99 year old grandmother who walks better than me.? ( she is going to be a 100 in september and she is healthier than me)
One Day, One day at a time right?

I hear you I also don't like feeling like an old lady when i have not gotten there yet and it doesn't look natural for me to walk with a cane I had to do that when i was 18 and i hurtt my back the first time and the guy that i was dating at the time had a really hard time with it and we almost broke up over it, i was so hurt , well we didn't break up and he is my husband now but along the way there have been things like that and it is hard. the first time i went to the mall with my small scooter type thing, i got a lot of strange looks and some kids made fun of me and it was really hard and at the end i would up in tears so which is better, tears of pain or tears of heartbreak.
OneDay

Start out slowly and have comfortable shoes.  If your feet hurt, find shoes, maybe with orthotics in them, that are comfortable for you.  I wear Birkenstocks but it took me about a month to get used to the foot bed.  Now I love them and have no foot pain when walking.

 

Walk a short distance and then increase the distance a little bit each day.  You aren't using the "walking" muscles that much.  I really couldn't walk far at first but I didn't throw in the towel and decide it hurt too much.  I want to walk.  When you don't do things you eventually lose the ability to do it!  Nope.  Wasn't going to allow that so I worked at it.

 

I am short and can't walk really fast either.  When I'm with friends, I'm always 8-10 feet behind them!  I don't appreciate that but I don't want people working their lives around me, either.  So, I just keep chugging along and enjoying the scenery.  That's why I love walking my dog.  She doesn't have a choice as to how fast we walk.  But, she is always 16 feet ahead of me. 

 

So, build yourself up slowly and you can do it.

 

Sherrine

about the canes...yes they really do help. I use mine when the sciatica up. At first
I thought I was going to feel funny using it, but now just think of it as a third leg.
When choosing a cane, I went for style and comfort. It is important to find the right
length. The height of the cane should be at your wrist. My cane looks like a giant
mahogany screw. It has a derby- fritz handle that is really comfortable.

Hugs, Robin

SO as far as walking goes and those that have problems with it what do you do when it comes time for grocery shopping? I do the shopping once a month and it's usually 2 carts since we have 4 kids. Last month me and my two oldest kids went to get the groceriess and they were a big help but the amount of pain i was in by the time i was home was ridiculous.

i'm so scared about this upcoming month and whether or not I'll need to break down and get one of those scooters to go around the store. I cant push the cart it hurts too much and i hurt about halfway through and am extremly tired afterwards

Hello One Day

My name is John I am a 34 year old man. I cant walk more than a mile and i pay for it by spending the next two or three days looking up at my ceiling.... I know the pain of trying to explain to your faimly that you just cant do certain things......I havent been able to work for the past five years so money is really really tight and that makes things even worse because i cant even take my kids out for an ice cream on a hot summers day......luckily i know eventually the ssa is going to have to approve my ssdi and then i can make up for these last five years of battleing with the ssa and give my children a much deserved reward.....So oneday just keep you chin up and do what you can to keep yourself moving because the worst thing to do is nothing at all...........Just do what you can do and rest. This past weekend after saving for over a year my daughter and I spent a couple days in Boston going to musems and the new england aquarium..... I live in maine and its a five hour drive down there and five hours back so after all the walking and driving i am just done but at least i got to do something with my lil girl for her birthday. First time in years, but it will get better soon I feel i am very close to finnally being approved.

Good Luck And Rest Often

John

thanks for all your support i have had doctors telling me for years to walk and i have tried the little bit at a time but it doesn't work so much for me but maybe it is time to try again. I move in the house a lot taking care of the kids but i guess it isn't the same as walking down the block. I always hated the doctors for making me feel like i am just not trying hard enough, but somehow hearing it from all of you who knows how difficult it can be and how much pain you can wind up in afterwards makes it easier to try, I had the sweetest doctor who was my gp and always wanted to help me, he said walk a little for 2-3 days and when it is too painful rest a day or two and then start again, I know his heart was in the right place but it just wasn't practical making myself hurt oy! i hurt enough without trying to make it happen. I have to say He passed away about a month ago and i am devistated he was the person i could work through all the med problems, he always had time to listen at any time, how many gp's do you know that give you their cellphone number and tell you to call whenever you need to , Saturday night for example. He was a blessing and i am heartbroken that he was taken, i think he just cared so much for his patients that his heart couldn't take it anymore. he will be sorely missed, and i don't know how i will ever find someone else to fill his shoes.
OneDay

Hello African Fibro Lady, Hopefully one of the moderators will pull your post out for an introduction, but until then I want to welcome you to our board. I had horrible difficulties walking when I was first diagnosed. I don't know if you are able to see an acupuncturist but that made a world of difference for me. She was able to loosen the tight muscles in my legs and make me able to walk better and with less pain.

I hope you find some help on this board, it is a great group.

Joy