Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Back Update #8 - Marching Season/Pool Therapy

10/16/12 Today was my final pool physical therapy session. Physically I have been making great improvement each day. The PT instructor has been really great and really knows how much to push and had a good handle on where I was physically through the 6 weeks we worked together. I could really see the improvement each week as we progressed through exercises. Water therapy is great. Next week I start working with Joline and she is pretty tough. I did a land session with her last week. It hurt. I think this is going to be a lot harder than pool PT.

Teaching the first weeks was pretty rough for me and I have taken some days off just because I don't always feel right. One of those days was the beginning of last week. We had just done our first double competition the past weekend and to put icing on the cake we found lice on Lillian so we spent all weekend dealing with that. I felt strange kinda like in the first few weeks after surgery. I took it as my body telling me it was time to chill so I did. The rest of that week was nuts with rehearsals, MSBOA, our last football game and another double competition weekend so I think it was smart to take Monday for myself. This week hasn't been much better for stuff going on but I'm trying to push through. I have been going to bed pretty early and sleep really hard. I'm tired but its the end of marching season, you are supposed to be tired. I just have to watch myself and make sure I put me first if I need it physically. My colleagues have been incredibly understanding and I am so grateful for all their help.

Three weeks ago I had a follow up with Dr. Brown and everything looked great. The bone graft is growing nicely and the fusion is set. I am still fully on my restrictions, no bending, twisting, lifting over 10pds but he told me I could start weening off my back brace so I started immediately. I have a love hate relationship with that thing. It feels good because of the support it gives but also just feels tight and constrictive. Currently I rarely wear it and only on those days when I am non-stop into the evening. I have had two or three days of not wearing it the whole day over the past week. It will be gone soon. My bed in the living room was also moved back downstairs last week also. I still am not 100% comfortable sitting on a couch but I don't have a choice now. The bed is gone much to M's happiness. I think personally, I could have made that bed permanent living room furniture but there is no way that will ever happen. I really need a good chair to put in there that will be good for sitting or reclining. Something needs to happen, I'm nervous I will never sit comfortably on a couch again and right now it's the couch or the floor. As for my right foot, there is still numbness/tingling in my toes and when I'm really physically drained, it's really present. I still have hopes this will go away. We will see.

Overall I am good. Life is slowly returning to normal and I am excited to get back to "normal". Whatever that will be. I'll post again in a couple weeks (mid-November) after my next Dr. follow up visit and when I'm four weeks into my land PT.

Talk to you soon!