August 16, 2013

Final Physical Therapy Session

Friday,  August 16, 2013

On our way home from Houston yesterday, Ron was able to call the Physical Therapy office and they said they could do the final physical therapy this morning at 8:30.  This is the appointment I was to have Thursday but had to cancel for our trip to Houston.  I showed up a little early and the therapist, David, took me right in and got me to work on the exercise bike.  It seems they all knew we had canceled so I could have the Cochlear Implant checked and were all concerned, and hoping that there was nothing seriously wrong.  The receptionist, the head of the department, and all the therapists asked about our Houston appointment.

This is where I go for physical therapy.

 

I did all the usual exercises: squeezing the rubber egg (but I got a new purple one today), squeezing the neon pink putty and then pinching it, using the hand exerciser, the assorted rotation exercises and the heat treatment, followed by a great massage.  The young lady who did that said I had made a lot of progress.  I guess she is right.  I will be eager to see what the physical therapist says at the evaluation on Monday morning.  I appreciate them working me into their busy schedule so that the report can be ready when I see the doctor Tuesday morning.  I hope he will continue the therapy for a while, but "the system" may not approve it.  It is helping and I am not yet where I want to be in the recovery.

Exercising hand from side to side to limber up the wrist.

 

Our oldest grandson joined us at the office for a few hours shortly after I got there.  I put him to work unpacking a shipment, but when we started to eat our lunch about 12:15, we were interrupted with a customer that I knew would take some time.  So I told him to return my lunch to the refrigerator.  About 30 minutes later I tried again.  Our grandson left a little after 2:00 and I still had not finished my lunch.  I gave up on the rest of my lunch a little before 3:00.  I stayed busy all afternoon.  Each time I would get back to my desk, another customer would come in.  I am thankful we were so busy.  I was equally if not more thankful, that I could hear all of them.  I conversed with many of them on assorted subjects.  For the last few years, I have not tried to engage customers in conversations past what I needed to know to complete their jobs. 

One customer had come to pick up some locks he had ordered a couple of weeks earlier.  They were a high security type and Ron had told me that he wanted to talk to the man when he came.  Ron had been out on jobs all day, but I texted him to tell him the man was there.  He said he would be right there.  I knew where he was and it would be at least 15 minutes, so I started talking to the man and got to telling him about my Cochlear Implant.  It turned out he is a dentist in Mexico and he was very interested to hear all about my experience.  We had a very nice visit while waiting for Ron.

When Ron came back he said I had an invitation to speak to a local service group about my implant.  I would like to do this, but the invitation took me by surprise.  I haven't gotten to ask him more about it and to see if they want it for a certain time, or just whenever I can.  I will start working on it and hope to have a while before they are ready for me.  I do want to share with others and help to educate them not only on the Cochlear Implant, but also on hearing loss in general.  Please pray with me and for me as I prepare to not only share with them, but hopefully with others every day who cross my path.

We went to supper with our Friday night friends.  Actually they are our friends every day, but we set Friday nights aside to have supper with them.  We went to a small Mexican food restaurant where we used to go years ago, and the food was good, but since I had such a late lunch, I wasn't very hungry.  At first we were almost the only ones there, but still hearing there is a challenge.  They have tile floors, wooden chairs that scrape across those tile floors and high ceiling that seem to echo all those sounds.  I worked with the remote for the implant trying to get a good setting and finally got one that was fairly good, but not perfect.  We had a good time catching up during our supper.

We are both tired.  I am hoping to sleep late tomorrow.  It never seems to work out as I plan, but I will give it a try.  My house keeper wanted the day off, so there is no reason I have to be up early.