When I last wrote, I was in considerable pain from my PT session on Monday, and had to skip Wednesday's session. However, by Friday, I was a little better, so I went back to doing the daily exercises Neil the PT had given me. The home exercises are pretty easy, and only take me about 15 minutes to do. Except for the stomach tightening one, which I do all the time - it's invisible, and my lower stomach is actually tightening up! Like (almost) before I had my kid! Whee.
However, the pain I had from the last PT session hadn't decreased measurably, some of which ws my fault. I had gone with Bob and his friend to look at an antique car for sale, and I was crawling around under it to check out the brake lines, frame, exhaust and undercarriage. Examining antique cars is good for my soul, but not good for my body. By Saturday night, my left leg was "dead," and was dragging behind me.
Still, I was at PT bright and early this morning, probably because the pain woke me up at 4 am. Neil saw me come in and asked me to move my left leg while I walked. I told him it wasn't in the mood to work today, which got his attention. He started poking at all the muscles in my back, hips, butt and thighs and made a grim face. "We've been working you way, way too hard. The muscles on the inside of your hips are torn, and the rest feel strained. How come you didn't complain when I told you to do all those reps last week?"
I told him that I understood physical therapy was all about pain, pain, pain, and figured that this was a normal result. He was taken aback - "An ache from a sore muscle is okay. Pain that makes you cry or keeps you up at night is something else altogether. We're going to have to start you all over again, at a much slower pace. And for cripe's sake, if you see your muscles shaking with exertion, please say something!"
So today was very, very low key. I got heat packs on my back, a massage and did some very mild stretches. No weights, only three reps apiece, and was told to knock off the home routine for now. I almost feel good.
I asked why my back hurts so much when it's the hip muscles that are torn. Turns out that this set of muscles supports the back, and with all those broken vertebrae and ruptured disks, there's nothing supporting them right now. No wonder it hurts. Neil asked if I have a back brace, and I told him I did not. He had best not get any funny ideas, because I do not want to wear a back brace.
Kathy N-V