First Day of PT

Today was my first day of physical therapy, and I feel exhausted yet faintly invigorated as I write this post. My mom drove me to San Francisco, and the car-ride flew by as we listened to my favourite podcast, Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill. I was reclined in my seat to avoid sitting in the dreaded 90 degrees position.

Greg, my physical therapist was affable and efficient. He told me he’d just been in to observe one of Dr. Sampson’s surgeries the week before mine, and that he sometimes worked on Dr. Sampson himself when he came into the office for his PT. He trained under Lisa Green’s tutelage—the magical healer that Dr. Sampson first referred me to. “Lisa told me all about you,” said Greg, “And I know I’m supposed to make a good first impression since you originally wanted to work with Lisa.” It’s true. I’m disappointed that Lisa’s office in Portola Valley is too far to drive to, as I’ve dreamed of working with her ever since I first met her in the spring. But I did manage to talk the office and my parents into one day per week with Lisa, so next week I’ll see her on Monday. That way I’ll have my Lisa fix and maintain some convenience in my family’s life.

Greg started out slow with me, just asking me to stand and shift my weight around and stand on one leg. Then he worked on my lower back muscles, which are “always tight after this kind of surgery.” Already he was expecting me to do more than my indulgent mother does at home—I had to lift my own legs onto the table, which hurt. Next was “the easiest exercise ever,” Greg joked, as he had me lie down with my leg in a hammock and rocked it back and forth. Our goal in my PT is to get my muscles stimulated, increase my strength and range of motion, and another point I fail to recall (post-surgery brain). I felt quite overwhelmed with the leg swinging exercise, as I hadn’t wilfully put my hips in that position for seven years. Everything in my brain and body tightened up, my mind sending distress signals to my hips that great pain was on the way. It was really hard to relax and override my hardwired instinct to protect myself.

So overall, I felt glad to be working with someone who knew how to help me, but also worried about how far I should be pushing myself through pain. I am definitely in pain after the session. So much progress took place in just one hour though! Greg taught me how to walk differently, and I already have a much greater range of motion and faith in moving more than I did before. Getting out of the house for the first time did me tremendous good. 

My first day stepping outside!

My new strut