Friday, January 26, 2024

The trip for occupational therapy on my hands

 First, I knew it wouldn't be easy to find...up a hill, with many round-about parking lots in tiers one above another. The only instruction I'd received was "don't go to the main entrance, go to the first building on the right."

Which was wrong of course. I was lucky that a woman was coming out of the locked door who said, nope this isn't it.

So I drove round and up and up and up until I passed the main entrance...in a long line of connected buildings. What did it say on that sign? I drove back (on a one-way road) and was finally able to see, "this entrance out of order."

Well I hadn't wanted it in the first place, but as I was about to turn around the right direction, I found a man walking from the parking lot who worked there. He didn't know where occupational therapy was, but thought it must be in the outpatient building. So just go all the way around the hill to the first building on the right. 

Ah ha. But even with it being sighted, there was the problem of parking. The entrance had a nice driveway where folks could be dropped off, and there were 4 disabled parking spots, all taken. There was no way I would go further down the hill in that parking lot, as I figured I could just barely make it up a slight slope from the non-parking spot that I took, on the end of the row. 

I ended up going inside to where you check-in, and was panting. I was out of breath for a few more minutes. But I was in the right place and actually on time!

There's my car, illegally parked. Did I mention it had been raining most of the time, lightly.


This gives you an idea of the hill.




Then I waited for a while, and realized I was the only one there by myself. Lots of more disabled people were waiting with their care-givers (wives/sisters, etc.) It made me feel a little embarrassed at having been out of breath. But also I felt all alone. If I'd had a care-giver, they could have dropped me off then gone to park way the heck in the boondocks.

As I waited for my 11:00 appointment (10:30 was to fill in forms) each other couple was greeted cheerfully by a therapist that they knew, and started chatting with. I was the only one left, which gave Warren no choice but to determine I was the OT patient he got to work with.

We discussed the cramping situation when I was pressing/working with my fingers. He went through all kinds of gadgets that are designed to help...I had  to laugh at the Klingon type knives.

I demonstrated with a regular knife and fork, how the way I worked on that dry chicken breast at a restaurant had made both my hands cramp, and I had to ask someone else to cut it for me. I sawed away on that piece of red putty, as if it were meat. And I realized I do point my index fingers down both the fork and knife to do most of the pushing.

You can skip all of this, because I'm going to record for my own purposes, what I remember learning from him. This was one of the first things. I could actually grasp the fork and knife with my whole fist, and reposition things and have much more strength going into the "tools." That was a nice ah ha moment. I could feel my right shoulder was the source of the movement pushing on the knife...since my wrist wasn't involved, nor my fingers. I mentioned it felt like the Chi was flowing through my arm.

We moved on. I mentioned I wanted to strengthen my  fingers so the cramps between my knuckles on each hand, including the thumbs, wouldn't happen. We slowly got to 2 new things I can do. One is to find a rubber band and push out with all my fingers and thumbs. The other is to squeeze my finger tips together with some putty which he gave me to take home. Thumb to index, thumb to middle, thumb to ring finger, thumb to pinkie.

And though I had no arthritis listed as a diagnosis, I indicated that one joint of my little finger has skewed sideways in just the last year. It won't bend back either, and is swollen.

He said he'd offer something which would make me feel blissful. I asked how did he measure that?
He showed me how to use the hot paraffin treatment for arthritis. I had my hands inside mitts for a few minutes after they had both been immersed in 120 degree wax. I was a bit surprised to see how  red they were when I peeled off the wax. Goodness gracious...my hands had so much blood flowing to them...but I hadn't had any particular loss of pain, which I understand arthritis patients have. I said I felt a level of bliss about a 7. And that was in comparison to orgasm which of course is a 10.

I said an 81 year old woman can talk about orgasms without embarrassment.  He had a beard, but I think he had a bit of a flush however.

Later I admitted I'd worked as an activity director for a senior center. He said that was how I was able to have so much fun. 

We agreed I didn't need to come back. I'll continue the ball squeezing to keep my finger strength up. Doing the rubber-band is a great opposite for that. Will try holding knife and forks in different manner, as well as carry a serrated knife with me. Hey women have carried knives for centuries! He showed me different implements of knife/fork/spoons with cushioned enlarged handles which would make it easier to use them. I said I didn't feel ready to purchase them at this point. Our hour together was billed as an evaluation.

Working with clay is my aim, and he supported doing the pinching that I want to start with.



It was a lot easier leaving than arriving. I went home, had some lunch, and fell asleep.


Today's quote:
"Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor."
Sholem Aleichem




12 comments:

  1. The ball squeezing and rubber band is good advice...the parking is inadequate!!

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  2. Hello,
    I hope the exercises help you and your hand. Take care, have a great day and happy weekend.

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  3. ...signage is often lacking, but it reassuring the it was a gun free zone.

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  4. Well, it was awkward getting there. Good that you only have the one trip to make. My physio ordeal will only last for one more session, and I am not healed.

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    1. I have a friend who has been doing PT for a shoulder injury, and when she wasn't getting progress as expected, they sent her back for a Cat scan or something, and found more injury like a tear that hadn't healed. She hadn't talked with her Dr. about it yet, so I don't know what she can do. She's still going twice a week for her PT. So sorry your's hasn't helped. That is in the category of "that sucketh."

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  5. That sounds successful, Barb, aside from finding the durn place. I love your sense of humour!

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  6. Hi Barbara, I know the feeling as regards hills, stairs, etc. My last trip was to flat land...easier to walk around and look at things. A-Fib in my case. I'm also having 'fun' with PT, in my case cardio therapy. Just have to keep on keeping on... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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    1. I'm feeling really behind my own abilities since having that short bout of runny nose and fever last week...it lasted maybe 4 bad days. But I have no endurance, and just walking 100 yards is really getting me out of breath. So I plan to nap. I am glad I was able to go out and have lunch at the senior center today...then stop by the art center to get some plans for when I'll come work there...and pay the fee. My activities are beginning to bump into each other. Glad to hear you're doing cardio therapy. It's a great thing to do, plus they monitor you for pushing yourself. That was the best PT that I had, since I also had pulminary therapy in the same gym. Sort of depends on who's leading the classes where you learn what you can do, and what you can't do!!

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  7. Barbara, stairs and hills tire me as well, despite the fact that I use the gym treadmill at least 5 days a week. Glad you made your way despite the lack of directions.I hope that the exercises will help you have more use of your hands in future.

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    1. I am committed to doing some clay work for the next month. Only on 3 days a week to start. I don't feel up to carrying things back and forth to the studio. That would be another exercise to help me be able to walk further, wouldn't it! We just keep on walking, walking walking...

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