My Everest…

I went to physio today and he asked how I am. Ok is my reply. Then he checks my Range of Motion and I’m not paying attention as this is a routine we are in and he just lets out a huh.. as he notices there’s a lot less of it.  He then asks me to walk again as he says that he noticed that I’m walking funny.  Less swing in my arms etc. He knows what I look like when I walk on a good day and he knows today is not that from when I stood up.  So he checks everything as he needs to and gets right down to work doing what he needs to to make me feel a bit better.  No taping up today as I have a massage appointment tomorrow.  He asks me to remember to keep my shoulders back when I walk. He knows I will forget so he gives me an elastic to put on my wrist. I chastise myself a bit later on as I could have coordinated this better with the massage first and his appointment the next day so I could reap the benefits of taping for a bit.   He’s off for a week and I am going to have to fend for myself.  We will see what it brings.  It should be ok, nothing planned travel-wise.  Just a gathering with friends to bring in the new year.  I will survive, I somehow always do!  

It’s always nice when your caregivers know each other or like to work together to get you better. As I was leaving my physio appointment he gave me a message to pass along to my RMT when I saw him.  Next day he asks is there anything specific to work on today? Usually he gets my side of things which he can work on for days and never get a dent in them.  If it’s something complicated from physio I get them to email or call each other as I can’t remember it.  But today it’s something easy and I tell him I have a message from physio.  He listens as I list off shoulder and neck, focusing on the left side and pressure points.  Pretty much the usual but extra stiffer due to the longer stints of sitting over the holidays. So as he gets to work I swear he can feel all these mountains under his fingertips. I envision them just popping up saying hi here I am.   While I lay on the table vulnerable while he mashes his fingers into my back to disperse them occasionally my arm tries to move away and he fixes it.  I always remind myself that I am there for a healing massage not one of those spa massages.  However on the other hand I know that if at anypoint I find this is way too much for me all I need to do is say something and he will go easier on the pressure. 

This is not supposed to hurt!  The next morning I feel like I have been battered and bruised and this is normal as all the tissues have been worked on but it’s ok because I get a bit more movement out of my neck and shoulders and the rest of my body and that was the goal wasn’t it?