God works in VERY mysterious ways!

I've been thinking for a few days - but especially this morning - whether the TKR was the right decision.  There is so much that is better but there is so much that is taking such a long time I feel it will never be right.  I went back a month in my blog and I didn't see right away where the improvements have been.  But then I thought about it - I just generally feel MUCH better.  I didn't take so much as an Advil yesterday.  I sleep through the night.  I put away the shower chair and raised toilet seat.  I'm planning my belly dancing classes for September.  I guess it's just that I don't see a "leaps and bounds" improvement, and it's getting SO tiresome: The way I have to move so slowly, the way I fatigue so easily. the tightness and swelling in the knee...  It's easy to lose sight of the tiny improvements...  And it's easy to lose sight of the fact that it hasn't EVEN been three months since surgery (well almost) and not even two since my manipulation.

Anyway - I always say God works in mysterious ways.  So I get to my PT appointment at 9:40AM.  The receptionist says, "Well I HOPE your appointment isn't at 9:40, your therapist doesn't start the day until 10:20."  Now I'm in a predicament.  I don't have my car and my husband just dropped me off and went to the mechanic and I have to cancel the 4:20 appointment that I DO have because my husband goes to work at 3PM and I have no way to get there.  So I waited about 5 minutes for my husband to get to the station, and I called over there to tell him to come back to get me.  So I dial and the message is that the number is not in service.  So I just sit and figure I have to wait an hour.  WELL... the receptionist said that someone didn't show up for an evaluation and would I like the spot with the therapist.  I happened to know her - because when I looked back a month in my blog this morning, SHE is the pool therapist that I had to beg to let me off 5 minutes early because she was giving me such a workout I was sweating in the pool!  I said sure and so there I was.

But the best part about this appointment was that I had brought my belly dancing drills with me - I'm afraid I won't be getting more appointments from the insurance because I'm doing so well (or so they say!) and I wanted to go through all the steps to see what is safe and possible.  EVERYTHING is safe and possible - although my leg might not be ready yet for the support I need when I need to load the leg to work on the opposite hip. 

 She has a different view of things than the therapists I have been working with.  All of them are excellent, but each one has their special exercises or ways they like to do things (although it's excellent to work with the same therapist throughout - it doesn't hurt once in a while to work with a different one!).  She gave me some balancing and weight bearing exercises way above and beyond what I had been doing up to this point.  She also gave me some exercises that will help with stairs - a totally different approach than what my current therapist is having me do.  Her take on my difficulty with stairs (and with regard to being able to do my belly dance steps) is that it's not quad strength alone that needs to be addressed - I have to learn to load the leg with my weight.  I could not believe the exercises she gave me!  I can already see what a difference they will make.  She also gave me "in-depth" balance exercises that I need for my dancing (and walking!). 

I felt so good and renewed when I left the appointment.  The minute I got home I ran to my schedule and not on ANY day did it say 9:40AM for an appointment.  Yet - not only did I read it last night so I would know what time to be ready this morning, I read my appointment sheet again this morning before leaving just to make sure I was running on time.  What made my eyes and brain see 9:40?  Was it so that I could work with this therapist?  (Not to mention - what made her scheduled appointment not show up???)

Anyway - now I have even MORE exercises to do at home.  But these balance and weight bearing exercises are so important I am going to start doing those, along with my belly dance drill (which runs 11 1/2 minutes) and my stretches.  That should still take me to an hour - Sigh.... this getting better is truly a full time job.  It's not for wimps and wussies! 

Miriam

p.s. to Jan - Yes - I also like South Beach a lot (except for the no-fruit phase).  I am counting calories on myfitnesspal, but I'm following a no-processed or refined food avenue.  I'm also making more non-animal protein choices.  Feeling better already!