10 March 2005
I had another appointment with Gavin this morning. I woke up feeling very tired. Tim has a cold and was caughing a lot during the night so I didn't sleep very well. I was feeling a bit nervous because I know Gavin will get me to work very hard and he wouldn't be very sympathetic about my excuses.
I did my exercise bike and calf stretches before I had breakfast. I should have got up a bit earlier this morning because it was around 10.15 a.m. by the time I had a shower and was all ready to go. Despite the fact that the taxi driver didn't know where Epworth was and had to look up in the Melway, I still got there early. The taxi driver told me he normally drives at night so he knows all the pubs and nightclubs but not hospitals. I didn't have my walking stick with me. This is the first time I went outdoor without it. I know Gavin wouldn't let me use it there so there's no point carrying it with me. I found it a bit scary at first, especially walking from the front of our house to the taxi - I had to walk pass the grass and the kerb to get to the taxi.
When I got there, Gavin wasn't there so I went into the physio gym and sat down on a bench. David, another physio, came in and told me that Gavin will be here at 11 a.m. and he wants me to start some walking practice first. I went up to the area I did the walking practice last time and David was there reminding me to take bigger right step. He grabbed a chair for me and told me if I want a rest I could sit down. I practiced a little bit and sat down to have a rest. I had to do that because I know Gavin wouldn't let me have a rest so I should take the opportunity when I can.
When Gavin came in, he asked me to show him the walking. He thinks it's looking a bit better except my right foot kept pivoting out. I told him it's an old habit - I didn't bother explaining to him that every time I tried to do the walking practice, my body kept wanting to do the 'rumba walks' and in the rumba, you are supposed to point your foot out on an angle, you would never step forward straight. He got me to do a couple more laps and then head for the stairs. I know I wouldn't be able to get away with this. It felt a lot easier today. I told him that when I'm going upstairs, I still stuck my left leg out and the exercise he got me to do last time only fix the problem temporarily. Last time, he got me to step up on a box with my right foot and push up with my right foot and then step up with my left foot on the box gently. He told me that I should keep doing this exercise and gradually, my left leg should not stick out.
After this exercise, he got me to go up and down the stairs again and then he put me on a step machine. I told him that I have a mini stepper at home but I've never used one like this before. Gavin hopped on the machine to show me what he wants me to do - step up and down quickly like running. He had to hold the paddles down for me to actually step on them. At first, I thought it's just like my mini stepper except it's a lot bigger. I was so wrong - with my mini stepper, when I push one paddle down, the other one comes up automatically but this one doesn't, I actually have to lift up my leg every time. It looks easy but it's actually very hard work! After 10 minutes, he came back and told me that I can step off the machine and do something else. He put me on a mini tramp and asked me to lift my left foot and right foot up gently like in jogging. Gavin told me to do this while he goes and check on another patient. I did this for a while and was wondering when my session would finish - the one hour just seems to be going so slowly!
Finally, Gavin came back and told me I can hop off the mini tramp and do more walking practice. I thought this would finish our session but he got me to go to the walking rails. At first, I thought he wanted me to do some walking practice with the rails but I was wrong again. He set up a wedge (like the one I use at home for calf stretches) and told me to do squats all the way down. He said I could hold on to the rails this time but in future, I should be aiming to do it without the rails. I lost count of how many I've done but I'm sure it's more than 20 or so. Gavin asked me if I felt tired and I told him yes. He replied: "good, now do another half a dozen". I should know better that if I want any sympathy, I definitely won't get that from him.
I was quite exhausted by the time I got home. I had a deep tissue massage appointment with Judy in the afternoon. Judy was very pleased this time because she said I have a lot more for her to work on this time - she was a bit worried that over the past couple of weeks she didn't have too much to work on me. She keeps saying that I need to work my muscles harder to keep her busy. She can really tell the difference this week.
I did my exercise bike and calf stretches before I had breakfast. I should have got up a bit earlier this morning because it was around 10.15 a.m. by the time I had a shower and was all ready to go. Despite the fact that the taxi driver didn't know where Epworth was and had to look up in the Melway, I still got there early. The taxi driver told me he normally drives at night so he knows all the pubs and nightclubs but not hospitals. I didn't have my walking stick with me. This is the first time I went outdoor without it. I know Gavin wouldn't let me use it there so there's no point carrying it with me. I found it a bit scary at first, especially walking from the front of our house to the taxi - I had to walk pass the grass and the kerb to get to the taxi.
When I got there, Gavin wasn't there so I went into the physio gym and sat down on a bench. David, another physio, came in and told me that Gavin will be here at 11 a.m. and he wants me to start some walking practice first. I went up to the area I did the walking practice last time and David was there reminding me to take bigger right step. He grabbed a chair for me and told me if I want a rest I could sit down. I practiced a little bit and sat down to have a rest. I had to do that because I know Gavin wouldn't let me have a rest so I should take the opportunity when I can.
When Gavin came in, he asked me to show him the walking. He thinks it's looking a bit better except my right foot kept pivoting out. I told him it's an old habit - I didn't bother explaining to him that every time I tried to do the walking practice, my body kept wanting to do the 'rumba walks' and in the rumba, you are supposed to point your foot out on an angle, you would never step forward straight. He got me to do a couple more laps and then head for the stairs. I know I wouldn't be able to get away with this. It felt a lot easier today. I told him that when I'm going upstairs, I still stuck my left leg out and the exercise he got me to do last time only fix the problem temporarily. Last time, he got me to step up on a box with my right foot and push up with my right foot and then step up with my left foot on the box gently. He told me that I should keep doing this exercise and gradually, my left leg should not stick out.
After this exercise, he got me to go up and down the stairs again and then he put me on a step machine. I told him that I have a mini stepper at home but I've never used one like this before. Gavin hopped on the machine to show me what he wants me to do - step up and down quickly like running. He had to hold the paddles down for me to actually step on them. At first, I thought it's just like my mini stepper except it's a lot bigger. I was so wrong - with my mini stepper, when I push one paddle down, the other one comes up automatically but this one doesn't, I actually have to lift up my leg every time. It looks easy but it's actually very hard work! After 10 minutes, he came back and told me that I can step off the machine and do something else. He put me on a mini tramp and asked me to lift my left foot and right foot up gently like in jogging. Gavin told me to do this while he goes and check on another patient. I did this for a while and was wondering when my session would finish - the one hour just seems to be going so slowly!
Finally, Gavin came back and told me I can hop off the mini tramp and do more walking practice. I thought this would finish our session but he got me to go to the walking rails. At first, I thought he wanted me to do some walking practice with the rails but I was wrong again. He set up a wedge (like the one I use at home for calf stretches) and told me to do squats all the way down. He said I could hold on to the rails this time but in future, I should be aiming to do it without the rails. I lost count of how many I've done but I'm sure it's more than 20 or so. Gavin asked me if I felt tired and I told him yes. He replied: "good, now do another half a dozen". I should know better that if I want any sympathy, I definitely won't get that from him.
I was quite exhausted by the time I got home. I had a deep tissue massage appointment with Judy in the afternoon. Judy was very pleased this time because she said I have a lot more for her to work on this time - she was a bit worried that over the past couple of weeks she didn't have too much to work on me. She keeps saying that I need to work my muscles harder to keep her busy. She can really tell the difference this week.
posted by Teresa Liu at 9:29 PM
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