November 3 – “The inevitable declaration”

I received the inevitable declaration from my physical therapist yesterday. It’s one I have been given every time I have ever done physical therapy on my neck.  Something along the lines of, “I have checked with every other therapist I know.  I have read through every book I can find.  I even talked to several doctors.  You need to understand that the therapy we are doing here is really not going to help with the pain problem you have.”  Of course it’s not.  Her research led her to discover that the nerve that regulates the sensations I am having up into my face is a cranial nerve rather than a spinal one (whatever that means).  I replied, “So ….?”  And her answer was, “You need to check with a neurosurgeon or neurologist.”  Interesting.  I answered, “And you remember … that’s who referred me to you?”  No real answer to that one. 

What followed was a session of torture, er, therapy, that I am still reeling from today.  She is working on some posture issues to strengthen my back and neck muscles so I don’t continue developing into a cratchity old dude with a hunchback.  I suppose if I follow her regimen, I will instead be a cratchity old dude who can stand up straight.  The new exercises are more difficult than the last ones she sent home.  For these I have to lie on the floor face down (literally face down.  Have to put my forehead on a rolled-up towel so I can breathe).  Then I put my arms in different positions and try to raise them toward the back.  Not too difficult in the actual doing.  Very difficult in the dealing with residual pain part that comes after.  I suppose the jury is still out on whether it will do any good.  I mean, after all, that one guy at Notre Dame got a whole book written about him …

1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Father, I could use some help getting through the physical therapy this time.  Pretty brutal aftermath.  Amen.