Beginning adventures in fibromyalgia physical therapy

[brightrosefox]

My initial physical therapy visit was so wonderful, they've set me up for more therapy two times a week for the rest of the month. Physical stretches and exercises with Dolores and Carolyn, biofeedback and meditation with Mercedes, and so on.

Dolores was happy that I knew everything about all my issues, and I even showed her my phone note with every single condition. She started me off with some basic light core and leg movements, then a heating pad against my lumber area.
I spent about two hours with her. She was unbelievably knowledgeable about fibromyalgia and cerebral palsy; she was so compassionate and understanding that I wondered what planet I was on.
I'm used to "regular people" mocking the syndrome nastily, calling sufferers "fakers" and "liars" and "drama queens" and "desperate for attention" and "pill seekers" and "exaggerating everything." Even many doctors and medical staff mock us. But the medical staff and doctors I have seen have all been... incredible. Astounding. Extraordinary. Maybe karma is finally giving me something back?

When I spoke to my mother later, she of course wanted to know when I would get new orthotics, when the tharapy would start working, etcetera. I called her a bulldog and said I'd smack her on the nose; she said she'd bite my leg. We have that sort of joke a lot.

My twice weekly sessions start next Monday. They printed out the entire October schedule. This is going to be amazing. I think I have finally found the best therapist.

On the flipside, I am completely exhausted right now. Things hurt, so I took pills. But for that hour after I left the NHR building, I felt energized, refreshed, stretched, in less pain.
The bus stop in front of the building was for a Ride On bus that ended at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. I thought sure, what the hell, and walked around the mall for two straight hours. Spent some time in Sephora with coupons, got some free stuff from the Body Shop. But it was the walking that was needed. At the end, when the bus went to Rockville and I transferred to Shady Grove and took the Lakeforest bus and was dropped off in front of my neighborhood, I was so drained that I didn't want to talk, I barely wanted to move. Adam was home at that point, so I spent a few moments welcoming him home. Then I crawled upstairs, put my stuff away, and fell onto the couch.

So. We shall optimistically anticipate next week's therapy sessions, especially the biofeedback.

Comments

[phoenixsansfyr.livejournal.com]

Yay Monkey Mall! (That's what my mom called it growing up; the name has stuck). So glad things are working out!