This ball is very important in his life!  We are always learning tips and tricks to use to make daily tasks easier.  Even if it means Zine having a ball!  LOL!  He would say this is NOT having a ball!   And please Lord don’t let Zine Smith shoot me for taking this picture!  This is a common thing in our home now.  Zine sleeping AND Zine having a ball between his legs.  Doesn’t everyone sit with a ball between their legs?  Sleep with a ball between their legs?  And use a ball as a laptop stand?  Why in the world is this ball so important in Zine’s life?

One of the struggles Zine has is muscle spasticity and muscle spasms.  His left leg, the one that doesn’t work, is so stiff because of spasticity.  However, because of that spasticity, it is still able to hold some weight to aid in transfers.

Zine has regular and frequent muscle spasms.  His legs will draw together and often his foot will draw to the side all of a sudden.  It lasts for several seconds before it releases.  If he makes a change in location like trying to transfer, his leg will often draw towards the other one.  There is nothing we can do to help this side effect other than give yet more muscle relaxers.

But there is a problem in giving more muscle relaxers, it will also relax the spasticity in Zine’s leg that we use as a pivot pole.  And if we relax that spasticity, then the leg will not hold weight, which means we won’t have a pivot point for transfers.

So Zine lives with muscle spasms so that we can keep that pivot pole!  We have learned tricks to help with the drawing in of his leg and that is to put a ball between his legs.  This keeps his legs from drawing together.  Instead they just squeeze against the ball.  I have learned to put my foot and leg between his when I am helping him get dressed so that his legs will stay separated and not draw together making it near impossible to dress!

The muscle spasms drive me crazy and it isn’t even my body!  I am just watching his body!  However, he rarely complains.  He just learns to live with the spasms and “have a ball” all the time.  I’m pretty sure I would complain!  I actually complain for him sometimes.

Prayer Request

Zine has another issue that is plaguing him as well.  He is experiencing lots of tummy issues.  We will not share the details but it is a very difficult place to be for all of us.  Please pray as we work with medication and make decisions about the next step in handling yet another difficulty.  Just what we want is more tests and another doctor, however, we are exhausting ourselves trying to manage right now.  I’m about to put my foot down and say no more waiting, it is time to seek more professional help.  It just takes me awhile to get to that point.  I never want to go to doctor before it is necessary.  Which means often, by the time I decide it is necessary, we have a big issue.  Therefore, moving forward with a new doctor and testing brings a new layer of fear and stress.  So we ask you to pray for great wisdom on mine and his part, about what and when to do something different.