20220702: blind balance
This is not new if folks know facts. But for me it was a revelation, realisation and a very new experience. Everyday during my physio, the therapist makes me stand. Just stand no movement and no support. It is a very very difficult thing for me to do - not just because my muscles are a mush, but also because the stroke has affected my sense of balance a lot. It was very bad initially and has gotten better slowly over the years. Over many many days of doing this and I have managed close to a minute. Then I start swaying like a leaf in the breeze and the therapist taps me constantly in the opposite direction to push back the centre of gravity to the middle. I have forever assumed that balance is controlled by the inner ear fluid. Not that anything happened to my inner ear with the stroke but I am guessing the inner ear has to communicate with the brain anyway to achieve this - and there lay my problem. I was very happy and proud even to get over the minute mark recently. It was a good in