Physical Therapy

Tuesday I woke up and had to prepare for a conference call for work and try to find a physical therapist.  I wanted and hoped to find someone close by that someone had used or that I may know.  Unfortunately, that was not in the cards.

I found someone and verified they had a contract with my insurance and scheduled an appointment for PT at 2 but needed to be there at 1:30 to do paperwork.  

Brenda to the rescue accepted the task to drive me probably a mile to the provider I found.  We arrived about 5 minutes early as they were out to lunch.  Once I got settled in we agreed she should come back around 3.

Leslie was my Physical Therapist and we talked - I was super nervous but she helped me relax.  We talked about what I was feeling, she did some testing etc.  Laying on my back I am at 20 degrees from being completely straight and flat.  She did some other examination and said my leg looked good as there was no swelling etc. So off we went with her assistant Matt.

We started with a warm blanket on my knee - it felt good and cozy.  Than the exercises and while I felt the pain I also felt frustration.  I knew the movement was very tight and not as good as it should be.  

• Calf Stretches painful.
• Quad set with a towel underneath and ankle pumps by far the easiest. 
• Heel slides at a seating position and against a wall were painful and frustrating. Self assisted slides were painful but easier since I could keep my other leg there pressuring it down.
• Half circles on stationary bike - I love riding a bike and as I sat there in pain doing these circles I wanted to cry but that also helped me want to just push myself.  

We finished with some icing and it felt good and it helped me reflect on the following things.

One of my other angels of service that was waiting to take me home - BH.  I have known her for at least 23 years.  My friend PL lived with her for a while and she is the mother of my friend DL  She helped us clean up a spare room when PL was moving out of her place and to the home I grew up in, she made Thanksgiving dinner for us one year when I had to work the day after and couldn't go to Vegas to be with family, and if I am not mistaken she went to my dad's funeral and as of recently opened her home to me and because of her saying I needed to just have my surgery done now while I was at her home (a ground apartment is hard to find in Redondo Beach) and she would help me that I am recuperating.  She has been very attentive and diligently put ice on my ice machine to keep my leg iced.  I am so grateful and I don't even know how I can ever begin to repay all she is doing for me.  Other than to continue to be a good friend to her and her family and help them whenever or wherever they are and need help.

Also as I sat there laying at the ceiling tiles I realized I was getting PT in the section of where one of the two theaters for the Cypress Family Twin Cinema.  I grew up going there when I was a little girl and there were no Regal or Edwards; and if there was I was not aware because that was just the theater you went to when you lived in Cypress.  So as much as my hometown has grown - it was once a small town and as big as it is people who are long time residents still have that small town friendliness. 

Although I felt truly blessed I did get a bit discouraged and overwhelmed but that quickly turned around.