PT

What is the difference between a physical therapist and a terrorist?
You can negotiate with a terrorist.

This is how I left Physical Therapy today...

Not my most glamorous shot, I know.

I don't cry very often, but today I could have filled buckets.  So much pain, so much frustration.

It has been 7 long weeks since my shoulder surgery. The pain still keeps me up at night.  My range of motion is coming back too slowly.  This is not what I had imagined. 

I met with my surgeon last week.  He said that my arm is still much tighter than it should be at this point.  I do stretches diligently every day.  I spend 40 minutes each time I stretch, three times a day.  I feel like it's taking over my life, yet, there is little improvement.  If I can't get my range of motion back on my own, they will put me under and manipulate my shoulder while I'm out.  Not only do I not want to do that, but we can't afford it.  I hate this!

I have never cried at physical therapy before, but the pain was too much today.  At the end of each visit the physical therapist measures my range of motion in various directions.  If there is improvement we celebrate.  If it is tighter than the previous time....well, he forces it until there is improvement.  That's when the pain becomes unbearable.  Even though I put in 2 hours a day stretching my shoulder, I was tighter today than last time.  How could that possibly be?  I am beyond frustrated!  I paid $40 today for torture.