If you’ve been reading my column, you know that back in
April I had knee surgery. I’m progressing in my recovery, and after nearly two
dozen physical therapy sessions, I’ve discovered some PT lessons that apply to
life as well.
The setting where I receive my therapy is a large room
filled with various types of exercise machines and equipment, and there are
usually several other patients there rehabbing at the same time. I’ve seen
numerous people from teens to octogenarians who are coping with a variety of
physical impairments from concussions to back pain to regaining movement in an
arm after rotator cuff surgery.
One thing we all have in common is a lack of patience. Every
new person comes in and says the same thing: How long before I’m back to
normal? I want to get better as fast as I can. Patience is a virtue, and I’m
hoping the training I’m receiving in it, will result in more of it in life.
It goes without saying that no one likes pain. Sometimes its
distressing to watch other patients grimacing as they work to regain motion.
But in life we all, at one time or another, must endure pain. Sometimes, you
just have to gut things out.
Progress is not linear. Recovery, like life, does not
progress in a straight line. Some days we move ahead two space, and some days
we move backward, but being persistent and consistent is crucial.
Balance is key to much of life. In therapy, I have learned
that you must push yourself, but not so much that you do harm. As my therapist
advised, “Do the exercise, but stop right before it causes pain.” We all need
to challenge ourselves in life, but we need to be kind to ourselves too.
When one thing goes out of whack, it can cause a cascade of
consequences. When my knee was messed up, I subconsciously learned to
compensate for it by altering my gait. We are slowly realigning my body and
getting the kinks out. This happens in life as well. If you allow something to
get out of control, it often leads to other problems. For example, if you spend
too much, it can cause financial distress, induce anxiety and impact your
future retirement.
Finally, progress sometimes is difficult to assess as it is
happening; hindsight is often the best way to evaluate how far we’ve come. It’s
only when I think back to those initial therapy sessions and how stiff, swollen
and painful my knee was that I can appreciate how much better I am, that I can
see my progress. I hope all of us can look back in hindsight and be pleased at
how much better we and our lives have become.
This column originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Northern Connection magazine.
