Terry is seventy years young and is a cheerful man that enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and grand puppy. Terry was diagnosed with MS over twenty years ago. Before the diagnosis, he had a very active lifestyle as he was a headteacher who always enjoyed PE and in his spare time enjoyed swimming, playing golf and coaching rugby. Terry knew something was wrong when he began to feel weak and temporarily lost his sight in his right eye and then his left eye. Both eyes have recovered, albeit one better than the other.
Since having MS, Terry felt that his mobility had declined quickly and found it a struggle to adapt to the change as he enjoyed being active. MS has not just been physically challenging but has also affected him mentally as he was hoping he would be able to train and teach his grandchildren how to play rugby. Unfortunately, due to his MS diagnosis he has been unable to do this.
Terry has been coming to Physiofunction for over 7 months now with his initial goals being to improve lower limb strength, mobility and to return to swimming. He has been working with Charlie, Keiran and Megan using the AlterG to increase walking tolerance and confidence. He also works in the clinic on lower limb exercise and overall exercise tolerance.
Terry also has arthritis in both hips and sessions have also allowed him to improve his hip strength and manage pain.
He has also been working for the last 3 months with Georgina in hydrotherapy on core strength and swimming ability.
Terry has expressed how he likes being active and feeling like he has worked hard when attending each session. He particularly enjoys hydrotherapy and using the Alter-G, as these activities allow him to partake in physical activity while being in a safe environment. His main goal now is to improve his fitness and overall health while trying to stay as mobile as possible.
Terry has noticed a huge improvement with his swimming abilities. He explained that after lockdown he was struggling to swim and stay afloat. Georgina was able to determine the reason why, and give him goals on how to build up his core strength. Incredibly, after three months Terry is now able to swim three lengths of the pool.
Terry can now walk for longer distances, and is able to exercise for longer with less fatigue, which helps him to manage his symptoms of MS much better.
We asked Terry if he had any advice for someone that has MS, he advised people to try to stay positive and be open to accepting help from others especially when needed as its out of love and kindness. A huge thank you to Terry for discussing his story and we are so glad we can be a part of your journey.
If you have been affected by Multiple Sclerosis and would like to find out more information on how Physiotherapy for MS can help, please click here or to book an assessment contact us today.
