I went to my PT appointment yesterday and was told that as it stands I have five more visits approved. It's not a done deal, and they will of course put in for more, but it got me to thinking... Do I need more? I think it's a decision to be made by myself as much as by the therapist. I was telling her that even though I have good range of motion (ROM) now, I am still concerned about strength and thought I would need PT exercises for strength. The therapist said that strength comes in time. She laughed and said that the knee's job is to bend and straighten - that's it. And if I can do that (which now I can) then the insurance company may not approve any more visits.
Another one of my concerns is that I start teaching my belly dance classes on September 24th and I'm not sure what I can and cannot do safely. I am going to bring in the drills that I use in class (should I bring the music too? lol ) and go over each step with her to make sure that I don't do anything that I'm not ready for. Whether I have the strength and endurance is another question - I just have to make sure they are safe to do.
I also got somewhat scolded yesterday (but lovingly, I assure you). My regular therapist is on vacation and I was working with the one that I had for pool therapy. She's the one who wrote WITH BIG LETTERS on the top of my exercise sheet: CONQUER THE FEAR. I asked her some questions about my home therapy and pool therapy and she just looked at me. "Asked and answered" she said. She pointed out that every single thing I asked both she and the other therapist has answered over and over for me. She said that she gets the feeling that I'm not listening and it's very frustrating for them. I told her it's more that my mind can't process the answers.
What I mean by that is that the questions involve things about how much should I do of this and that. Will I hurt myself by overworking my knee. What is safe and not safe. The answers are: Listen to your body. If it tells you to stop then stop. If you listen you will not hurt yourself. I tried to explain to her that the reason it is so hard for me to process the answers is that I spent close to 7 years in pain. I worked through it. I danced through it. I raced through it (I did two 5K races with a titanium brace on my knee with my cryocuff waiting for me at the finish line). I spent 7 years learning how to ignore my body screaming out in pain. I learned not to respect it. It's a whole new world now without the arthritis. If I feel pain it's not something to work/dance/race through. It's something to listen to.
Once I go through all my belly dancing moves with my therapist and she says my ROM is the best that it can be then maybe I have to consider not even using the five more visits that I have. If I can accept and digest the message they have been giving me for two months - "Listen to my body. STOP if it hurts" - then I know enough on my own to continue my PT at home or at the pool. I'm scared and yet excited.....
Miriam
You can do it--you know your body best! I saved some of my visits for an occasional stretch. I can come out of PT with a much better stretch than I can get by myself. You are doing so great, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteWow, it sounds like you are really progressing. I would be like you and keep asking the questions. Even if you are repeating them obviously you need to hear the answers again and to me that should be fine and not frustrating for them.
ReplyDeleteAnd how awesome is it that I just learned you teach belly dancing??? I would love to try it one day. The Zumba instructor I go to in Florida likes to throw in a bit of belly dancing.