So as part of my recovery I am receiving a number of therapies to aid in my improvement. These are my newest smiling, cheery torturers. All offer a chipper greeting and clear instructions. But in all cases, they disrupt my world. Just when I think I am approaching normal, regular guy status, I am put thru a task that clearly shows otherwise.
Virginia is a late thirtyish lady, blond and fit, a runner with an even gait. She is an occupational therapist. This job is to improve my fine motor skills and build up my upper body strength. Another part of this is to improve hand-eye coordination which is now lacking. As with her colleagues, each task gets more trying. She presents me with a job to put tiny pegs into holes on a board with my right hand, not easy with my fumbling fingers. In fact there are about 40 of these pegs (lots of fumbling). The real telling task was a light board in a dark room. you had to spot the small lights that come on across this board and touch them to turn them off. It is a test of reaction time. While kind of fun, this is timed and the operator has to touch 55 in a minute to be considered effective and to have driving reaction time. I am about at 35.
Next we have physical therapy. This is supposed to improve strength and stamina as well as work on balance which wasn't very good in the first place. My therapist is Tiffany. She is a late twenties girl very tall about 5'11", brown skinned with a lovely complexion and beautiful smile. Tiffany is probably my most strident and demanding therapist. All the while smiling, she doesn't give an inch. Each task gets more difficult. Many are involving balance, like standing on a balance board with a cylinder in the middle with me trying to gain some semblance of balance. When I am instructed to complete 5 reps, we are not done till the last one is completed. And of course, she is still smiling. We get done and I am further convinced of how far I have to go.
Mia is my trainer in Cardiac Rehab. This is basically a gym with the enhancement of folks checking our vitals during exercise. She is a perky twenty something again always smiling who tapes the leads on my chest and puts me on stationary bikes and something like a sitting elliptical where all body parts are used in the exercise. After 25 minutes on the elliptical and another 20 on the bike going as fast as I can, I am worn out but not in any distress. somewhat pleased with myself for completing.
Thats it for therapy news. I am traveling down this road having my shortcomings hitting me in the face. There is a ways to go.
Judy and I are going to breakfast this morning and out to look at countertops for the new kitchen.
thats it
all for now
stay safe and dry
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