Improving My Balance

Somewhere in my talk about dizziness I had mentioned to a doctor or two that I have not been able to walk a straight line for several years when taking walks such as to the local grocery store. Tests by cardiology, neurology, and otology showed no physical problem that would affect my walking balance, except that during the tests where air was blown into my ears one at a time, the left ear had better performance than the right ear. I know I hear better with my left ear. Then the ear doctor ordered balance therapy.

So on April 2, 2024 I set out to walk to the therapist’s office. When I had made the appointment the clerk had told me Balance Therapy was on the third floor of Building 240. She described Building 240 as being at 3rd Avenue and Thomas, on the south side of Thomas, and she (the clerk) could see a parking garage from her window. The description did not make sense, but the clerk hotly told me she had worked there for something like 12 years and she knew where Building 240 was. She again said it was at Thrid Avenue and Thomas.

Since 3rd Ave and Thomas is only a couple blocks from my condo I set out on foot. Distances in central Phoenix are compressed. There is no Fourth Avenue, and the distance from 5th Ave to 3rd Ave is only one short block. I crossed Earll at the SW corner of our condominium property and strolled down 6th Avenue which curved and became 5th Avenue. There was a stop light at 5th Ave and Thomas but the way Phoenix is numbered 240 should be on the north side of Thomas, so I crossed 3rd Ave and but did not cross Thomas. In a few yards I was nearly to 3rd Avenue and I saw that the building in front of me (on the east side of Third, north side of Thomas) was the Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center. I ran my eyes along the side of the building and found a large sign saying “240.” Why hadn’t the clerk told me Building 240 was the Mohammad Ali building? I had walked the long way to get there, going a short block out of my way. I reminded myself that I needed the exercise.

In the foto below the man has just come out the front door and the door is still open. This statue greest all visitors and staff.

Read the full title of the building carefully. The “Excellence” was granted one month before I moved into my condo.

When I stepped off the elevator on the third floor I walked down a hall different than the hall I walked when I had the neurological testing in this building.

Muhammad Ali in action. This seemed to be a painting, not superimposed fotographs.

I love the use of color in this “Bridges” painting.

The words in the sun at upper left are “Visión y compromiso.”

The second paragraph in this essay calls the above picture a “digital art piece,” but it goes on to explain that it is a collage of fotographs of pieces of paintings done by. . . .

From the words on the door a visitor would think they were in the Barrow Neurological Institute building rather than the Mohammad Ali Research Center. The truth is, the Lonnie and Muhammad Parkinson’s Center Building 240 is part of the Barrow Neurological Institute. But signs like this that do not allude to Ali at all are confusing.

Yes, Muhammad Ali lived in Phoenix in later years and his wife, Lonnie, still lives in the area.

This sign was in the check-in area. It alludes to Muhammad Ali without words. This foto was obviously taken in the northern US. I have never seen a room heating unit like the ne at lower left in the Southwest but I do remember seeing them (and burning my curious finger) in Chicago when we visited mother’s oldest sister.

I wonder if this poster advertises Ali’s boxing motto. Do any of you boxing fans know?

The check-in clerk had decorated for Easter. She has the bunny’s second ear but has not yet gotten around to glueing it back on.

This is a fascinating chart. I’m sorry the writing is too small for us to read.

A very nice young female therapist spent most of an hour having me do various things so she could see my problems. The scariest test was when she had me fold my arms across my chest, close my eyes, then walk forward. It was also the most difficult. The therapist had her hands very near my sides to catch me if I started to fall.

She told me my right leg is a shade longer than my left leg and this probably gives me some problem when walking. She took two pictures to show me. I asked her to forward them to my email.

I tried to put the next two fotos side by side but I couldn’t. Perhaps you can scroll down so that they will both show in your monitor at the same time.

The first is the “before” picture. If you look closely you can see that my belt drops slightly lower on my left side. The droop is actually more visible in the mirror than in the picture.

This is the “after” picture, after she taped a one-eighth-inch lift to the heel of my left sandal.

If the lift does not cause undue pain in my hips or legs I will wear heel lifts in my left shoes for the rest of my life. And I will no longer go barefoot in the house, because walking around a good part of the day without the heel lift would confuse my brain. The therapist gave me a heel insert to tape to my house slipper at home.

Next week she will start teaching me exercises, and maybe other things. She is already expecting to give me 8 therapy sessions (one a week), and can add more if necessary.

Walking home (using the more direct route) was a little easier than walking to the Center had been.

Sidewalk vandalism.

My left house slipper with heel insert.

This is the largest size I was able to transfer the foto. Still can’t read it.