Yesterday, the last day of September was a great day for me. Dealing with this crazy back issue has been a painful, depressing, frustrating etc process, but I have learned to appreciate milestones that I reach, however small they may be. Yesterday was special for me. First, I had my first physical therapy session. I had gone to the doctor on Tuesday that had given me my two lumbar epidural injections. He was the one who needed to clear me and prescribe the therapy, which he did. So on the drive home from the doctor we immediately made my appointment with Mountain Physical Therapy for my “evaluation” for Thursday. Barbie actually went in the place to make the appointment for me. She came out pleased with the facility and the folks she spoke with were all friendly and helpful. So, at 9:00am yesterday we arrived at Mountain Physical Therapy for my “evaluation and planning” session. We had my scooter on the hitch we installed on Barbie’s car a few weeks ago. It was overcast and drizzling on and off so I decided to use my walker to go in and not mess with the scooter. Now mind you, to this point in time the maximum distance I’ve walked with the walker at one time was probably 20-25 feet, from the motorhome to the car. From the car into the facility was probably 25-30 feet so I figured no problem. Plus, I really didn’t want to ride into the place on the scooter-must have been a pride issue. Well, when we got inside everyone, 3 therapists and one office worker, were extremely friendly. I turned in the paperwork they had given Barbie Tuesday for us to turn in. Then my physical therapist, Cherisse, came up and introduced herself to me. She is a petite, extremely fit woman probably in her late fortys-fifty years old range. She then asked me to follow her to an office area so she could get a history of my issue and do an evaluation so she could plan my therapy program. Well let me tell you I got a tad concerned at this point as the office area was across a large open area that had the exercise tables, machines, mats etc. I guess it was about a 60 foot walk with the walker. Whew, but I made it. We talked about the history of my problem etc for about 20 minutes. She said to follow her back out onto the floor. I figured I was through for this session and we’d start on the next visit. WRONG ! I then spent the next HOUR involved in a real “physical” evaluation of my condition, doing exercises, being iced down, having my left hip massaged and getting hooked up to some electrodes on my back and being stimulated for 20 minutes. I gotta tell you I was pretty spent, then she gave me my daily “homework” to do, not once but twice a day. I thought all my “homework” days were over when this old Principal retired. WRONG again! I guess I’ll have “homework” everyday for the rest of my life. I’m game though and I’ll be a model student. Then Cherisse said we were done to follow her back to the desk and we’d set up next week’s schedule. She wants me in Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then it hit me, I still had probably a 50 foot walk to the desk and another 25-30 feet to the car before I could crash. Bottomline, I made it-and actually much better than I thought.
The second milestone was that I slept in the bed in the motorhome, the entire night, for the first time since June 25. If you’ve followed this journey you know I’ve tried a handful of times to sleep in the bed since this back issue started, but never made it more than a couple of hours before I had to return to my recliner in the front of the motorhome. I received the two “wedges” (one for back and head, the other for my legs and feet) I had ordered, the last arriving yesterday, and decided to try them out last night. I did it!
I’m on my way back friends !
‘Til next time…………………
It won’t be long….
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