Neurological decline

I'm not there yet but sometimes feel like I'm in a race to get things the way I'd like them before I can no longer do them myself.
At my 6 moth MMI (maximum medical improvement) eval the guy in charge told me I had 5-15 yrs. before I was no longer ambulatory.
That seemed like a long time 4 years ago. I prefer living in denial.

Hi Peace....welcome. I also have degenerative disc diseases and it slowly progresses. Most of the time I use a wheel chair though I can around OK with AFO braces and forearm crutces.

I do try to stay active with passion of Scuba Diving, I'm an instructor so that really keeps active. I teach using my crutches and braces. The way I get around the student's don't seem to notice my disability though it's quit visible. Once I'm underwater, I'm completely free. I can keep up easily with their emergancy procedures and rescues. I often join in these skills to keep me sharp

Joe

peacewillcome, I don't know that balance can be found when our prognosis is uncertain, daily functioning is unpredictable, and treatment helps manage but does not really control symptoms. Rather, life becomes a balancing act, ever fluid acceptance/defiance struggle, guided by the spiritual values we have chosen for our lives. Sometimes we are on tilt with discouragement, and other times we overcome even the most challenging situations and are deeply satisfied.

Practically, I think Lαrα is right on target with focusing on short term planning, being forgiving of ourselves and others when that doesn't work out as planned! Learning as much as possible about our medical needs and assistive devices and adaptations that can help us live more fully is a positive step. Realistically anticipating greater levels of support/care means facing our mortality and inevitable loss of independence. That is hard, and we need each other for encouragement and practical ideas to cope. In any situation, as cbdives suggested, keeping our passions alive is good--if we cannot actively pursue them, we can share them in other ways. And in any circumstance we can still give something to others: a listening ear, a kind word, a smile.

We need to find breaks from the seriousness of our life with its medical demands. That can be in artistic endeavor, the beauty of nature, time out with friends, etc. All this is complicated to realize when our energy and mobility are limited. If we don't dream, we don't plan; and if we don't plan, it never happens. So I am trying to recognize in my own life that it cannot always be about what I must do, sometimes I need to recapture the lost spontaneity of previous times and plan some serendipitous moments!

Wavewolf Thanks for the idea of more fun, you are right, i get so caught up in medical appts and coping that sometimes i forget to live.i have so many different conditions, degenerative disks and arthritis are the least of my worries now as something js happening in the brain. I am most worried about that although know that advanced disk degeneration c4-c7 -and L1-s4 does not help my situation - progressive neurological decline due to something going on in my brain is the thing that scares me the most ( besides falling and breaking my already so fragile neck)
I think dj you are right sometimes i push myself too much and lara you are right about finding the balance.

Cbdives i am insanely jealous!!!! i am a swimmer! And for the last ten years it helped me so much with pain and mobility but suddenly due to this brain thing, i cant handle water and my body spasms terribly and i am in danger of aspirating water. It has been a devastating loss for me as it was my love and joy and so much of a pain reliever.
Thanks for the responses
Heres to some serendipity coming soon!
wavewolf
Lαrα
cbdives
DJ