Physiotherapy!

I’ve done a lot of physiotherapy in my day, most of it related to typing injuries: I typed professionally for more than 40 years, often, especially at the beginning, in ergonomically-compromised positions.

I don’t have a good track record of translating verbal instructions into physical actions, so having a physiotherapist who will give clear demonstrations, and then leave me with clear written instructions, always results in better outcomes.

Back in the day, physios would scrawl crude stick diagrams on scraps of paper. This was almost never helpful.

Today was my first physiotherapy appointment in the Physical Medicine department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in service of  rehabilitating my broken elbow.

It went very well: my physio was understanding, clear, good at demonstrating and explaining, and sent me away not only with printed materials, but printed materials that have an access code that I can enter on a website, a website that has video walk-throughs of every exercise she prescribed, plus a way of logging.

I am a very motivated patient: there’s too many things I can’t do without my right arm. So I have every expectation that I will be diligent in my execution of my daily exercises.

I was encouraged to get my arm out of the sling, and to allow it to hang at my side. For the time being, this is going to look weird. I’m OK with that.

I was also encouraged, using pain as my guide, to do as many non-weight-bearing daily activities with my compromised elbow as possible: tying my shoes, brushing my teeth, etc. 

I took this as the all clear to do some set up in the print shop for a project that Lisa is undertaking: it felt good to be actually doing something useful, after a month spent mostly sedentary.