It was one week before Dr. Clouse arrived when Tom had finally decided that he had to give up the golf course (his favorite thing to do) because he was so clumsy. He was feeling as though his future was quite bleak. Tom was more than an avid golfer; he lived to play golf, but was having so many problems trying to hang on to it. No matter what he tried he just couldn’t play the game anymore.
When Dr. Tom Clouse arrived in town nearly 3 weeks ago, my husband (Tom Graham) was able to walk around our home only by hanging onto the furniture and the walls. Outside the house, he was dependent on his cane, and on me when I happened to be along, and was using a walker increasing amounts of the time.
In a few sessions over 2 1/2 weeks, Dr Clouse, from his vantage point as a physician, through his personal insight into what an ataxic person does to compensate, and using his kind and patient manner, mixed with a bit of humor, was been able to show him how to teach his body to remember the way things used to work before ataxia struck.
He can now navigate steps up and down much more easily, walk un-aided for quite long distances, manage an incline/decline well, and most importantly, go to the golf course and play an entire round. Now he can once again bend over to tee up his ball and hit the driver without falling down, walk on the grass, and walk up to and across the green to the hole. For a life-long golfer to have his golf game back, that was quite an achievement.
Dr. Clouse’s wonderful guidance and his ability to look toward the future has also enabled Tom to repair a mental out look for the future that was becoming quite dim.
We are very grateful.
Diane Graham
Sioux City, Iowa
meregra@cableone.net