A Million Little Pieces Of My Mind

When I underwent a lumbar laminectomy in April, I was hoping it would bring relief from the persistent lower back pain that had me all but crippled. Unfortunately, even after the surgery, the pain didn't seem to improve significantly. My surgeon, who is attached to the CORE Spine Center, referred me to CORE's Physical Therapy unit.

From the moment I walked into the doors (which were conveniently located across the waiting room for my surgeon), I could tell I was in good hands. The head therapist, Emily, had already created a personalized plan to help me get back on my feet. But she asked me, "What do you hope to achieve or change about the way you feel, through your sessions here?

"I'd like to be able to hike again," I shrugged. Frankly, I didn't have a lot of hope of that's happening. At 72, it wouldn't be an unreasonable thing to accept that as a loss. But, I noted, Emily simply took note of my wish on her pad, with no indication my goal might be out of reach.

Each session began with a gentle 5-minute ride on the Exercycle. At the outset, even this minor exercise seemed challenging, but I was determined to push through the discomfort. I then realized my discomfort was from the effort level on the cycle from being too low. When I pushed to level 5 (out of 10), it actually became easier to pedal.

There was a whole complement of exercises, most of which I had to be shown on several visits before I could remember how to do them on my own. Some were simple, like stretching my poor, abused Achilles tendons while gazing out the window; others were more complex, involving giant rubber bands and giant rubber balls and standing on one foot and then the other.

Now, after just a couple weeks (four sessions) of this, I suddenly awoke one morning feeling not that bad! Now, the day before I had forced myself to go into the gym for which I had gotten a membership in March but had never actually felt up to exercising in. They have a long lap pool, and I swam a few laps. So, I can't swear it was the physical therapy, or the swimming, that made the difference. But I'm inclined to think the PT got me to the point where the swimming was possible.

The progress I've been making has given me the confidence to consider activities I hadn't thought possible just a short while ago, for example, taking out the garbage or the dogs to the lake park. While I haven't yet ventured into hiking territory, I eagerly await the temperature to drop below 90°F so that I can put my improved mobility to the test. The anticipation of being able to take on trails once more fills me with guarded optimism.

So, here's to progress, to the small victories that make up the bigger picture, and to the unwavering spirit that propels us forward—even when the path seems challenging. My journey continues, and I'm grateful to see where it will take me next.