Physical and Occupational Therapy

Until I attended the knee and hip replacement workshop about a month ago, I thought that occupational therapy was "crafts" and I was looking forward learning a new skill while in the hospital. The occupational therapist I saw yesterday burst out laughing when I told her this, and then turned serious. "You would still get to do crafts", she said, "if you were in the hospital for mental health issues". Next go-round, maybe.

I really liked yesterday's PT. Faye didn't go for any patient babying and seemed to know exactly how to deal with me, not necessarily an easy task. We dumped the walker right away and I used crutches instead. She looked at the tasks I would have to accomplish as sequential and inter-related. By the end of my second round of PT in the afternoon, I could pull my very heavy leg to the side of the bed and stand on it, immobilized, quite easily. Walking with the crutches is very easy. May only tendency is to want to take steps that are too large for my abilities.

I was surprised that I already knew how to deal with steps; I must have practiced it before or after another of my knee surgeries. I felt that I could navigate stairs fairly safely even now.

The occupational therapy with Katy was less helpful, since I already know the "coping" techniques that have been acquired during a lifetime with knee problems. I was really interested in hearing Katy talk about some of the challenges addressed by patients with cognitive issues. It seems that it's much easier dealing with someone like me, not disabled by age or illness, and still pretty much playing with a full deck.