8 July 2005
I had my usual physio appointment at Epworth this morning. I had to get up a bit earlier this morning because we received a notice from CitiPower a few days a ago to tell us that there will be some interruptions to the power supply today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. I wasn’t too worried when I first read the notice but then when I remembered what happened a few weeks ago when we had a blackout, I started to panic. This means there will be no hotwater(for showering), no heating, no kettle for tea or coffee. I had to make sure I have a shower before then. I was lucky because minutes after I had a shower, the power went off. I didn’t think they were going to cut off power at 9 a.m. exactly but they did.
I got to Epworth a little bit earlier today. When I walked in the physio treatment room, Kathy was there with her patient but there was no sight of Gavin. I sat up a mirror and started my walking practice while I was waiting for him. I lost count of how many laps of walking I’ve done but when he finally turned up, he told me to continue with it while he rushes to do something else. I didn’t tell him but I think there is something wrong with the mirror. It makes me look short and fat – not a very flattering mirror.
When he returned, he told me to face the walking rails and do some calf raises. While I was doing the calf raises, I asked Gavin about personal training and whether it’s a standard thing for the personal trainers not to use gym equipments. I told him that Mary has set some exercises for mse to work on specific muscle groups but not using the gym equpiments. I also told him that I haven’t felt absolutely stuffed after my personal training sessions so I found that after I got home, I had to do more to feel that I had a good workout. He said what he sees me doing in the next twelve months is working in the gym independently. He said if the exercises are for specific muscle groups and if I only worked on certain muscle groups, the muscles were probably tired but I wouldn’t feel tired so it’s good to finish off with some cardio exercises. He said I should ask Mary to show me how to use various gym equipments so I can learn to use these equipments own my own. He also asked me if I’m going back to work full time end of this year. I told him last time that I plan to go back to work at the end of November. I told him I plan to go back part-time to start with. Maybe just one day a week and then gradually increase it. He said that’s ok because if I go back full time, I won’t have time for rehabilitation and I won’t improve. I’m a little depressed by his comments even though he hasn’t said anything negative. I was hoping that by the time I go back to work, I can get my life back – ie I will be able to walk normally and run and maybe even dance. I never expect the rehabilitation will take so long. It has been over a year now and this seems to be the longest year I had. I can’t believe that I’m spending the prime of my life learning how to walk again.
Gary came in as I was talking to Gavin. Gavin told me to continue with twenty more calf raises and then the dorsiflexion exercises against the wall. I have done some dorsiflxion exercises already before I went to Epworth. This is the one that I stand with my back against the wall and feet just a few inches away from the wall. I then take my butt off the wall just leaving my shoulders and my back touching the wall. Finally, I need to lift the rest of my upper body off the wall by lifting my toes. I found a good place for me to do this exercise is when I’m in the shower because I’m actually standing barefeet. The only problem is to lean against the cold tiles.
After the dorsiflexion exercises, Gavin told me to practice jumping in the walking rails. He put a box there for me to jump on and off first and when he thought I was doing better, he removed the box and asked me to do the same without the box. When I was practising this I could hear Gary talking all the time. He was telling Gavin that he had coffee with Gary Ablett’s girlfriend. I don’t know what he used to do but somehow I think he must be in that field before because he’s always talking about the football players or coaches. In the past, I was always a bit annoyed with Gavin because I felt he was always talking to Gary and I was always left there to do my own things. Today, I noticed that it’s not Gavin that was talking. Gary was the one who wouldn’t shut up so there’s probaby nothing much Gavin could do anyway. In fact, Gary couldn’t even stand not talking for one minute that when Gavin had to go somewhere and left him there in his wheelchair, he had to call someone on the mobile for a chat.
I practiced a little bit more own my own and then Gavin came over to check what I was doing. I think I did some really pathetic little jumps because I found him smirking when he was looking at my jumps. He asked me how did I think I went. I told him I think it was pretty bad. He didn’t comment on that but he still had that smirk on his face. He told me I need to focus on the height, not the distance when I’m practising at this stage. I guess this is what I’ll be doing for the next few sessions until I can run.
After my session, Gavin asked me if my legs are tired. I told him no. I also told him that in the past, little exercises like this would probably tired me out completely but now it takes a lot more for me to feel tired. He thinks it’s good I don’t feel tired because it means I’m much fitter these days.
I got to Epworth a little bit earlier today. When I walked in the physio treatment room, Kathy was there with her patient but there was no sight of Gavin. I sat up a mirror and started my walking practice while I was waiting for him. I lost count of how many laps of walking I’ve done but when he finally turned up, he told me to continue with it while he rushes to do something else. I didn’t tell him but I think there is something wrong with the mirror. It makes me look short and fat – not a very flattering mirror.
When he returned, he told me to face the walking rails and do some calf raises. While I was doing the calf raises, I asked Gavin about personal training and whether it’s a standard thing for the personal trainers not to use gym equipments. I told him that Mary has set some exercises for mse to work on specific muscle groups but not using the gym equpiments. I also told him that I haven’t felt absolutely stuffed after my personal training sessions so I found that after I got home, I had to do more to feel that I had a good workout. He said what he sees me doing in the next twelve months is working in the gym independently. He said if the exercises are for specific muscle groups and if I only worked on certain muscle groups, the muscles were probably tired but I wouldn’t feel tired so it’s good to finish off with some cardio exercises. He said I should ask Mary to show me how to use various gym equipments so I can learn to use these equipments own my own. He also asked me if I’m going back to work full time end of this year. I told him last time that I plan to go back to work at the end of November. I told him I plan to go back part-time to start with. Maybe just one day a week and then gradually increase it. He said that’s ok because if I go back full time, I won’t have time for rehabilitation and I won’t improve. I’m a little depressed by his comments even though he hasn’t said anything negative. I was hoping that by the time I go back to work, I can get my life back – ie I will be able to walk normally and run and maybe even dance. I never expect the rehabilitation will take so long. It has been over a year now and this seems to be the longest year I had. I can’t believe that I’m spending the prime of my life learning how to walk again.
Gary came in as I was talking to Gavin. Gavin told me to continue with twenty more calf raises and then the dorsiflexion exercises against the wall. I have done some dorsiflxion exercises already before I went to Epworth. This is the one that I stand with my back against the wall and feet just a few inches away from the wall. I then take my butt off the wall just leaving my shoulders and my back touching the wall. Finally, I need to lift the rest of my upper body off the wall by lifting my toes. I found a good place for me to do this exercise is when I’m in the shower because I’m actually standing barefeet. The only problem is to lean against the cold tiles.
After the dorsiflexion exercises, Gavin told me to practice jumping in the walking rails. He put a box there for me to jump on and off first and when he thought I was doing better, he removed the box and asked me to do the same without the box. When I was practising this I could hear Gary talking all the time. He was telling Gavin that he had coffee with Gary Ablett’s girlfriend. I don’t know what he used to do but somehow I think he must be in that field before because he’s always talking about the football players or coaches. In the past, I was always a bit annoyed with Gavin because I felt he was always talking to Gary and I was always left there to do my own things. Today, I noticed that it’s not Gavin that was talking. Gary was the one who wouldn’t shut up so there’s probaby nothing much Gavin could do anyway. In fact, Gary couldn’t even stand not talking for one minute that when Gavin had to go somewhere and left him there in his wheelchair, he had to call someone on the mobile for a chat.
I practiced a little bit more own my own and then Gavin came over to check what I was doing. I think I did some really pathetic little jumps because I found him smirking when he was looking at my jumps. He asked me how did I think I went. I told him I think it was pretty bad. He didn’t comment on that but he still had that smirk on his face. He told me I need to focus on the height, not the distance when I’m practising at this stage. I guess this is what I’ll be doing for the next few sessions until I can run.
After my session, Gavin asked me if my legs are tired. I told him no. I also told him that in the past, little exercises like this would probably tired me out completely but now it takes a lot more for me to feel tired. He thinks it’s good I don’t feel tired because it means I’m much fitter these days.
posted by Teresa Liu at 1:18 AM
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