Ruby and Tango

Ruby and Tango
Me 'n' Ruby and of course Tango

Thursday 24 March 2011

Physiotherapy etcetera.

To-day I managed to get into the garden for the first time in a week and hoped to get some quality work done, well I planted and hoed,and swept leaves and weeded. I stopped at 5.30 pm to walk the dogs, and boy did I ache, I could hardly drag myself up the slopes from the beach, When i got home and ran a bath for a good soak, then my brain started turning, please God don’t let me have done too much.

Over five years ago one August morning I experienced  the most excruciating pain radiating from my hip to knee, I thought I'd had an electric shock, as I was standing by the cooker, or even a heart attack as my heart was racing i was sweating and had pins and needles. It turned out I had dislocated two discs in my lower back. I thought that it was only tall people got back problems, but obviously not.  When the doctor came out he of course asked me what I had been doing lately, I  had been gardening yes, then when I remembered I had been laying paving slabs, and spreading pebbles for a couple of weeks, before I turned in I brushed the dogs and recalled my back ached, but thought nothing of it at the time.

I was sent for scans had Epidurals, various pain killers endured blood tests, which showed up I was anaemic. I couldn’t walk and was in constant pain. I’d pretty much made up my mind if I wasn’t walking by Christmas I would top myself, and I was serious, I couldn’t bear not to be able to ever walk with my dogs ever again. ,friends were doing that for me. All in all  it was a tough time.

Eventually I got a bit more mobile. and I was offered half price 10 week membership for the Gym to have a course of physiotherapy.

I hated it, I had a set course of exercises so couldn’t do what I wanted, I got bored cycling and getting nowhere, I got annoyed having to sit on a big ball and lift my feet up to keep my balance, running on a treadmill seemed pointless, sitting and pulling weights up and down or from back to front was a bit like hard work. I didn’t complete the course as I couldn’t see why I was doing it. And this is  the whole point of writing this post, no one told me what the benefits of each exercise was, no one supervised me to see that I was doing things properly, I was not aware that certain exercises were to strengthen the back muscles or improve my balance which was badly affected. I was monitored by computer,  if I missed an exercise or skipped the required number of push ups or pull downs it told me, so I had to go back and rectify it.

I attended hospital and then my doctor for a further six months, till they eventually told me nothing more could be done as the nerves were irreparably damaged.

I still get discomfort and pains in my leg sometimes as though  I'd been walking through nettles,

Every morning since it happened I get out of bed carefully, straighten up when I sneeze, bend knees when lifting and put my foot on a chair to tie my laces.

I often wonder had I finished the course -  maybe it would have helped improve the situation, maybe I would have stayed the course had I been told the particular benefits of the exercises.

Please, please I haven’t screwed up after my over exuberant gardening to-day.

tags,

health, physiotherapy,exercise,slipped discs,gym,pain,well being,Epidural,MRI scan,blood tests,anaemia, nerve damage.

5 comments:

  1. Ouch. I had back surgery in 2000 after a series of shots and therapy. Nothing worked so I had the surgery. Now I exercise faithfully every day.
    I hope you haven't injured yourself.

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  2. You were doing too much Arlene AND me too.
    the back to 2005 I worked too much in the garden this specially time was I cutting an English box nicely trim evenly with electric trimer ..
    It must be took only an half hours.
    But Boy! the next morning I can't step down my feet in the floor it was just like an electricity shocked which I don't know about that:-)
    I went physiotherapy's she said I have Sciatica Nerve in my low back that I never forget that how painful things.

    It took me four weeks to mending my back ever since I'm very carefully with my garden work.
    Only about an hours and stopped:-)
    Strangely enough I can played 18 holes(four hours) but I take two Panadol.

    I think our bodies are not made for works hard?
    we needed to listening our body:-)
    But I understand that it looks like just like me
    finish off and forget about our bodies ha ha ha
    We both need to take care our bodies my friend.

    By the way I will be carefully drive my car.

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  3. Ouch Arlene I think you did over do it a little. My doctor told me to pace myself in the garden after a visit experiencing pain in my back and leg. It turned out to be my hips. I hope you are enjoying your Friday with your friends. Hugs Sheila x

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  4. So.....I'm not the only one prone to overdoing things. I had physical therapy three times a week for 6 months followed by surgery and another 6 months of therapy. My therapists finally told me that if I wasn't going to take it easy on the prescribed exercises there was no point in my continuing the program. I'm one of those "no pain, no gain" people and they were constantly telling me to stop pushing my body so hard.

    The walking in nettles sensation in my lower legs is very familiar as is the electric shock sensation but mine runs from the center of my low back down both legs. Both are the result of permanent nerve damage, Makes me wonder why I was in therapy in the first place if the damage was irreversible. Hope you're feeling okay.

    BTW that's is why I haven't been online much recently. I've been using the pain killers after aggravating my back and legs while re-building the front porch.

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  5. No Chip you're not the only mad person, but then I think we all feel we're a little bit indestructible of invincible, and we carry on regardless, though you're injuries are obviously much more severe than mine, I just get cross as I can't see anything and can't pinpoint the root of the damamge and HOW THE H** it happened in the first place.
    I sincerely hope you will soon be unshackled from your current bout, it can't be much fun, mine is merely an irritation by comparison.
    I was offered or suggested surgery, though warned should it go wrong it could result in paralysis, so I declined.
    We, that means you Michiko, Sheila and Beth and Chip, must be more careful in future, thanks all for your comments,
    You're stars.

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