I am so glad that my plastic surgeon mentioned the possibility of physical therapy. He said in a few weeks he may recommend it. I said "can I do it now?" So I left with a prescription for physical therapy. So I researched around and found a physical therapist that works with breast cancer patients and has experience with helping people post bilateral mastectomy. I was nervous and wasn't sure what to expect, but it went great!
I was happy the physical therapist was a woman. It just made me more comfortable. I liked the fact that she knew all about tissue expanders and different types of reconstruction. She immediately made me feel at ease.
My session was only 30 minutes and we spent a good deal of that time today reviewing my current rehabilitation exercises, my health and evaluating my current status. When she had me do several things so she could evaluate my starting point she said she was impressed and I was doing great! That made me feel like the painful rehab exercises I have been doing twice a day are paying off. I only fell short in two areas for range of motion and not by much at all. She was confident we could get me back to where I was shortly. That was nice to hear!
So she then evaluated when I was having pain and where it was. She proceeded with some passive stretching exercises (where she stretched my body while I just relaxed) and some muscle massage to the tight areas. That part actually felt really good to me. I definitely have a tightness way up in my arm pit when I do the stretches overhead. She reviewed with me that it is where the pectoral muscles insert up into the arm area. She only worked on me a short time today as we spent most of the time doing the evaluation, but I felt much looser later.
Tonight I did my rehab exercises and stretches and they felt easier! I think just the little bit my PT did helped. I go back on Thursday and she said she is getting me in the gym to see what I can do then. I am excited that I am being proactive and getting my movement back. I don't want to sit around and wait to get my body back, I want to do something about it now before I start chemo. I hope this helps me get moving again and back to a level I am use to soon. I hope to be teaching my aerobics class again really soon and this is a step in the right direction!
This post is 2 years ago, may I know how are you doing now? Cancer patients are really strong and amazing people. They inspire me and make me see the world in a different perspective. Although times may get rough, they never lose hope to live for their loved ones. How's your physical therapy doing? I hope you're getting better now and I hope that you're fighting this cancer out of your system. Just hold on and everything will get better.
ReplyDeleteGwen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking! I am doing great! The physical therapy really helped my body adjust to the tissue expanders and reconstruction process. I am back to doing everything I enjoy doing with no problems. I feel great!