Re: Questions for Mark Weber and group

[Guest guest]

Jeannie,

Reference your AFO. I have been wearing mine for 6 months and have had

to go back for one adjustment and I think I'm due another adjustment.

My AFO is for my left leg and it is all plastic constructed similar to

yours. The adjustment was turning my foot out at the ankle so that my

heel hits the ground more to the middle rather than the outside of the

heel. This eliminated some of the walking on the outside of the foot

like we do without the AFO. Hope you under stand this. I think another

adjustment needs to be made, where as my foot hits the ground more to

the inside of the heel? The pain you are experiencing is different

than mine. My pain is in the lower calf and lower thigh and my PT tells

me that I'm working muscles that have not been used in sometime. It

hurts, but the longer I wear the AFO, the pain is slowly going away. It

really has helped me with the drop foot or foot drag. Hope this helps.

Norton

Questions for Mark Weber and group

Hi Mark,I was reading the last medical research report that you posted

last

week. In the report they stated enhanced vulnerability and sensitivity

to

proapoptotic stimuli. I have been trying to define the meaning of

" proapoptotic " , I haven't had much luck, only uaed in other types of

medical research such

as proapoptotic anti-inflamatory drugs,or a proapoptotic gene. Would you

know

the definition? Also, A question regarding AFO's, I was fitted with an

AFO

for my right leg a few weeks ago. It is supposed to be a new type made

of

carbon graphite, extremely light with metal, but very strong. It has a

flat

bottom covering most of the bottom of my foot, With a narrow bar coming

up the

right side of my leg almost to my knee with 2 velcro straps. It really

helps alot

with foot drag. After I wear it for awhile it makes my knee hurt

inside.

Then I want to take it off. Are you familiar with this type of AFO ?

Did you

or anyone else you know of have trouble adjusting to their AFO's? I was

really

looking forward to getting it, but I'm starting to dread putting it on.

My

physical therapist is trying to help me adjust to it also.

Thanks......Jeannie

from nj

[Guest guest]

Jeannie,

Apoptosis refers to a programmed cell death--that is, a cell has a time

to die. The word you are trying to define is the adjective used to describe

something that influences that process and time of death. I hope that helps.

Dolores

Questions for Mark Weber and group

> Hi Mark,I was reading the last medical research report that you posted

last

> week. In the report they stated enhanced vulnerability and sensitivity to

> proapoptotic stimuli. I have been trying to define the meaning of

> " proapoptotic " , I haven't had much luck, only uaed in other types of

medical research such

> as proapoptotic anti-inflamatory drugs,or a proapoptotic gene. Would you

know

> the definition?

[Guest guest]

Jeannie,

My last pair of AFO's ( i'm on my 4th pair , maybe 5th) are of Carbon graphite

with the narrow bar running up the side. When I first started out with the

plastic kind, I had a very hard time adjusting to it. It hurt, hard to walk in

, hard to adjust to. As time changed and I got worse, we went on to a pair of

hinged AFO's. I wore my hinged ones for the longest amount of time. Went back

for constant adjustments to the angle to keep me upright. As my knees got

weaker, I progressed into solid fronts below myy knees to keep them from

collapsing and buckling. The carbon graphite that I have now are solid as a

rock. They don't let me go down no matter how much my knees want to go. I

don't get adjustments anymore.

If they start to hurt, take them off and give your legs a rest. Build up your

time in them giving you legs time to adjust to them. Also , keep working with

your orthotist to get them so they don't bother you.

About being in a wheelchair or a walker: It use to bother me too. Now...let

them stare. I don't even care any more. When I was at Mayo..it was

great...any one walking were the ones stared at!!! LOL>>

sherry

dx ALS 7/02

[Guest guest]

Jeannie,

You asked about the meaning of the word " proapoptotic " (the abstract

should have spelled it " pro-apoptotic " )in the sentence:

" Accumulating evidence from mouse models suggests that enhanced

vulnerability and sensitivity to proapoptotic (sic) stimuli is only

responsible for some but not all forms of motoneuron (sic) disease. "

I went to an on-line medical dictionary

(http://www.medterms.com/script/main/alphaidx.asp?p=a_DICT ) to get

the answer:

" Apoptosis: A form of cell death in which a programmed sequence of

events leads to the elimination of cells without releasing harmful

substances into the surrounding area. Apoptosis plays a crucial role

in developing and maintaining health by eliminating old cells,

unnecessary cells, and unhealthy cells. The human body replaces

perhaps a million cells a second. Too little or too much apoptosis

plays a role in a great many diseases. When programmed cell death

does not work right, cells that should be eliminated may hang around

and become immortal. For example, in cancer and leukemia. When

apoptosis works overly well, it kills too many cells and inflicts

grave tissue damage. This is the case in strokes and

neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer, Huntington and

Parkinson diseases. Apoptosis is also called programmed cell death

or cell suicide. Strictly speaking, the term apoptosis refers only

to the structural changes cells go through, and programmed cell

death refers to the complete underlying process, but the terms are

often used interchangeably. "

As for the AFO's that you mentioned, I am not familiar with them.

The kind that I have are much bigger. In any case, if they're

uncomfortable because your knee hurts, bring them back for an

adjustment. I drove my AFO supplier nuts with adjustments. But

that what he gets paid for.

Mark

> Hi Mark,I was reading the last medical research report that you

posted last

> week. In the report they stated enhanced vulnerability and

sensitivity to

> proapoptotic stimuli. I have been trying to define the meaning

of

> " proapoptotic " , I haven't had much luck, only uaed in other types

of medical research such

> as proapoptotic anti-inflamatory drugs,or a proapoptotic gene.

Would you know

> the definition? Also, A question regarding AFO's, I was fitted

with an AFO

> for my right leg a few weeks ago. It is supposed to be a new type

made of

> carbon graphite, extremely light with metal, but very strong. It

has a flat

> bottom covering most of the bottom of my foot, With a narrow bar

coming up the

> right side of my leg almost to my knee with 2 velcro straps. It

really helps alot

> with foot drag. After I wear it for awhile it makes my knee hurt

inside.

> Then I want to take it off. Are you familiar with this type of

AFO ? Did you

> or anyone else you know of have trouble adjusting to their AFO's?

I was really

> looking forward to getting it, but I'm starting to dread putting

it on. My

> physical therapist is trying to help me adjust to it also.

Thanks......Jeannie

> from nj

>

>

>