Progress Report: Week 19

Doing OK this week. 19 weeks! I finished up PT this week. Went about 11 times I think? More than I needed to, but I enjoyed going, the therapist didn't mind and the HMO approved extra sessions so why not? Sad to not continue but I know it's that time. What a difference a facility makes! The last place, before surgery, sucked. Hated the therapist. They were big on massage, electrotherapy and sonograms. Helped a little. But once that herniation started growing (no doubt helped along by their idiotic full-body-weight-on-the-elbow right over the disc massages!) nothing would help. They put me on a rickety traction machine that was frayed and worn -- looked totally like something from the Museum of Death! -- and I had a panic attack. My therapist was busy on the other side of the room, you know, surfing the Web, and the idea of embarrassing myself by yelling out to her more than once somehow helped me keep it together for the full 10 minutes. Ugh that place sucked. She would also give me this horrible massage on the butt (for sciatica, but what she thought was a pulled hamstring/butt muscle pull--I think that is known clinically as buttmusclepullitis) and would pull down my shorts to do it, even after I asked her not to. Why this was particularly embarrassing was because I wasn't in a room, we were in these little bays like in the ER, separated only by a flimsy curtain that you could not only see (and hear) through, but even sometimes see someone's head poking out one end! And often there would be men next to me and it was just humiliating. Now that I think back, I don't know why I didn't raise more hell. I believe I was just tired and so freaking hurt and upset and just kept hoping she knew what she was doing. Sadly, she didn't. On the up side, I'll never let someone make me uncomfortable like that again, and will have a more active role in my health care. Ugh though.

Anyway.... things are OK. Still having some back pain and sciatica but not too bad. Still taking advil daily, but only 2 total a day most of the time. Still screwing around and not doing my stretches, exercises and walking. But I'm working on that, just got back from a nice brisk walk. :)