My physio has asked me to do a set of back stretches twice a day and has also encouraged me to take 20 minute brisk walks. Unfortunately, with my office schedule, I manage to do neither. As a result, I developed a nagging pain in the left part of the small of the back. My physio quickly located the cause to be my habitual inactivity and the subconscious reflex of trying to 'protect' my back. So, yesterday's physio session was all about exercises.
I started off on toe curls - both upward and downward. I then did hamstring streches. This was followed by side leg lifts. I was then led to the 'theraband' area where an elastic band was tied to my waist while I moved back a few steps and held the position. I had to do this walking backwards and sideways. Then the head physio put me on my back on two medicine balls and rolled them. I felt really insecure. I have never liked having my feet up from terra firma. I hate lifts and absolutely dread airplanes. Naturally, while the balls rolled below my back, I had a feeling that I was about to fall in between them on the floor. Needless to say, no such thing happened.
The physio made me do front bend stretches while he thumped my back from top to bottom. We did this two times.
The final exercise had me standing on a pneumatic cushion and playing catch with another of the physio guys. The cushion ensured that I had no stability on my feet and I was wary that the ball would hit me in the eye and push off my contacts. Again, my fears were unfounded.
I was given Diatherm and a little bit of IFT on my sore area.
Then, finally, I went home.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Cause and Effect
I am in a real nasty mood today. Therefore, today's post will be all bitching.
I never mentioned the person responsible for my injury.
Today, I plan to 'expose' the guy.
He was(is?) my friend. We used to be colleagues at the company where I started my career.
Incidentally, he was in USA at the same time I was.
We planned a trip. It might have all ended well were it not for one single moment of carelessness on his part.
I might have forgiven him had he sustained any injury at the time of the 'incident'. However, he just walked away from the whole episode without a scratch on him. And I stand maimed for life.
When the ambulance was taking me away to the nearest hospital, he was busy calling his car insurance.
He should have escorted me back to my apartment. Instead he took an earlier flight stating office emergency.
I will never forget that day at the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I was strapped onto a wheelchair. With a broken back. All alone in an alien country.
I could not stop my tears from streaming down.
However, I was not aware of the long term damage done to my back. I just thought of my back injury as one broken bone which would heal in due course of time. Little did I know that spinal compression fractures literally change the entire dynamics of the spine. It messes up discs, nerves and muscles. I have had to retrain myself to deal with my back on a day-to-day basis.
And all this while, the 'cause' has been living his life - buying cars, recording music et all. He does call from time to time. Just routine calls. To let him know if I need any help. I am sure he has brushed off the guilt long time back. His calls are just a way of showing magnanimity.
The 'effect' is still trying to make sense of why God made her live that fateful afternoon.
I never mentioned the person responsible for my injury.
Today, I plan to 'expose' the guy.
He was(is?) my friend. We used to be colleagues at the company where I started my career.
Incidentally, he was in USA at the same time I was.
We planned a trip. It might have all ended well were it not for one single moment of carelessness on his part.
I might have forgiven him had he sustained any injury at the time of the 'incident'. However, he just walked away from the whole episode without a scratch on him. And I stand maimed for life.
When the ambulance was taking me away to the nearest hospital, he was busy calling his car insurance.
He should have escorted me back to my apartment. Instead he took an earlier flight stating office emergency.
I will never forget that day at the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I was strapped onto a wheelchair. With a broken back. All alone in an alien country.
I could not stop my tears from streaming down.
However, I was not aware of the long term damage done to my back. I just thought of my back injury as one broken bone which would heal in due course of time. Little did I know that spinal compression fractures literally change the entire dynamics of the spine. It messes up discs, nerves and muscles. I have had to retrain myself to deal with my back on a day-to-day basis.
And all this while, the 'cause' has been living his life - buying cars, recording music et all. He does call from time to time. Just routine calls. To let him know if I need any help. I am sure he has brushed off the guilt long time back. His calls are just a way of showing magnanimity.
The 'effect' is still trying to make sense of why God made her live that fateful afternoon.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
TENS Revisited
I have had 2 more sessions of TENS since my last post.
Apparently, TENS is working better than IFT for me. For the uninitiated, TENS is nerve stimulation and IFT is muscle stimulation. Both use medium frequency electric current.
The process involves placing some gel-smeared flat plastic rounds on strategic parts of my back.
Current is then sent through.
No, I do not get electrocuted. There is just a pleasant sensation of a deep-tissue massage.
Looking forward to the next physio session.
Apparently, TENS is working better than IFT for me. For the uninitiated, TENS is nerve stimulation and IFT is muscle stimulation. Both use medium frequency electric current.
The process involves placing some gel-smeared flat plastic rounds on strategic parts of my back.
Current is then sent through.
No, I do not get electrocuted. There is just a pleasant sensation of a deep-tissue massage.
Looking forward to the next physio session.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
TENS
I had my first TENS session last Monday.
It is some kind of electric nerve stimulation. Did not help me greatly. I have been in considerable pain all of yesterday. Primary reason being the driver bumped into a bumper while getting back home from the physiotherapist. The husband received all the flak. But naturally.
I could have visited the physio guy today but decided against it. Let the body not get too used to getting physio sessions every other day.
It is some kind of electric nerve stimulation. Did not help me greatly. I have been in considerable pain all of yesterday. Primary reason being the driver bumped into a bumper while getting back home from the physiotherapist. The husband received all the flak. But naturally.
I could have visited the physio guy today but decided against it. Let the body not get too used to getting physio sessions every other day.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Brokeback in Office
I informed my immediate manager and his manager about my affliction. I would be able to do time every day for about 5 - 6 hours daily. I would also be leaving office around 5 - 5:30 PM on the days that I have physiotherapy.
My manager promptly arranged a laptop and a datacard for me. Having hubby in the same organization helped me in this. I mean, if I have a broken back, how can I carry a laptop?
My office friends - Su, I, P&N and Pr were (and are) extremely sympathetic to my pain. They take the lift with me even if I am going down to the floor just below/above. They are really attentive when we go out onto the street in front of the office for tea.
I wrote a mail to the Admin chief to get myself an ergonomic chair. Some following up as per N's advice later, I am sitting in my high-backed chair usually given out to managers/PCs.
All in all, this company has been good to me after I returned prematurely from my 'onsite' assignment on medical grounds.
My manager promptly arranged a laptop and a datacard for me. Having hubby in the same organization helped me in this. I mean, if I have a broken back, how can I carry a laptop?
My office friends - Su, I, P&N and Pr were (and are) extremely sympathetic to my pain. They take the lift with me even if I am going down to the floor just below/above. They are really attentive when we go out onto the street in front of the office for tea.
I wrote a mail to the Admin chief to get myself an ergonomic chair. Some following up as per N's advice later, I am sitting in my high-backed chair usually given out to managers/PCs.
All in all, this company has been good to me after I returned prematurely from my 'onsite' assignment on medical grounds.
Physiotherapy
I was introduced to this miracle by father.
I started office on 22nd June, 2010. Within a day or two I realized that sitting out the 8 office hours was going to be impossible for me. I spoke out my concerns to Baba. He arranged an appointment with eminent physiotherapist JM who happens to be Manab Kaku's brother-in-law by marriage. Manab Kaku is Baba's business partner.
On the first consultation J said that the fracture had healed alright. However, the nerves and muscles had reduced to a painful knot. He got me started on Ultrasound right away. I also did some leg stretching with an elastic band tied around my ankles.
I started visiting J's chamber every day/every alternate day. The usual routine is spinal/para-spinal IFT followed by Ultrasound with Diatherm(just plain old heat) bringing up the rear. Twice, I have done stretching with elastic band(s) around my waist. Last day, I was taught back stretches - lateral and frontal. I am supposed to start with counting 5 and move on upto counting 10. Each exercise - 10 repetitions. Each set of repetitions to be done twice or thrice a day. I did the exercises yesterday morning - skipped at night - got waylaid by Bacardi Breezer(yay!! it's back in the market), biriyani and firni. Did the exercises today morning. My entire lower back in aching today. Looking forward to the visit to the physiotherapist scheduled for later today.
I started office on 22nd June, 2010. Within a day or two I realized that sitting out the 8 office hours was going to be impossible for me. I spoke out my concerns to Baba. He arranged an appointment with eminent physiotherapist JM who happens to be Manab Kaku's brother-in-law by marriage. Manab Kaku is Baba's business partner.
On the first consultation J said that the fracture had healed alright. However, the nerves and muscles had reduced to a painful knot. He got me started on Ultrasound right away. I also did some leg stretching with an elastic band tied around my ankles.
I started visiting J's chamber every day/every alternate day. The usual routine is spinal/para-spinal IFT followed by Ultrasound with Diatherm(just plain old heat) bringing up the rear. Twice, I have done stretching with elastic band(s) around my waist. Last day, I was taught back stretches - lateral and frontal. I am supposed to start with counting 5 and move on upto counting 10. Each exercise - 10 repetitions. Each set of repetitions to be done twice or thrice a day. I did the exercises yesterday morning - skipped at night - got waylaid by Bacardi Breezer(yay!! it's back in the market), biriyani and firni. Did the exercises today morning. My entire lower back in aching today. Looking forward to the visit to the physiotherapist scheduled for later today.
Brokeback at Home
Sorry for the huge delay in posting.
I was back in Kolkata on 10th May, 2010. And I consulted an eminent orthopaedic soon after. He advised bedrest. He prescribed Etova, some other antibiotic the name of which I have forgotten and Supracal Pro. He demonstrated 3 exercises which I was supposed to start right away. I carried on with this schedule.
I drove mother up the tree by refusing to take the stairs. She brought me lunch and Sayan brought me dinner - the kitchen is on the first floor and I had taken up residence on the ground floor. I was getting on father's nerves too by staying back at home. I had a real bad time. The pain did not get any better. And I was home alone frequently. Father and Sayan had their respective offices and Ma had her tuitions and school.
We bought 3 appliances/furniture to make the room suitable for my now changed needs. We got a geyser and had the plumbing done such that the shower could get me warm water straigtaway instead of mixing the hot and cold water in a bucket and having to bend down to get the temperate water from the bucket. Father got a lower bathroom hanger at my request. Then, we got father a 1 tonne AC - we had usurped his room because it was bigger than the one we used to originally stay in. Along came a Godrej steel almirah. And true to Godrej's tradition, we found a flaw with the lower shelves immediately and had to raise a ticket to have it fixed. A few days later, the locker refused to lock!
I read up quite a few books during the days spent in bed.
1. Sevel Dials Mystery - Agatha Christie
2. 5 Little Pigs - Agatha Christie
3. Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie
4. To Kill A Mocking Bird - Harper Lee
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
6. The Stars Look Down - A.J Cronin
7. The Plague - Albert Camus
9. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
10. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - I am still trying to finish this awfully amateur vampire-human-werewolf saga.
I was back in Kolkata on 10th May, 2010. And I consulted an eminent orthopaedic soon after. He advised bedrest. He prescribed Etova, some other antibiotic the name of which I have forgotten and Supracal Pro. He demonstrated 3 exercises which I was supposed to start right away. I carried on with this schedule.
I drove mother up the tree by refusing to take the stairs. She brought me lunch and Sayan brought me dinner - the kitchen is on the first floor and I had taken up residence on the ground floor. I was getting on father's nerves too by staying back at home. I had a real bad time. The pain did not get any better. And I was home alone frequently. Father and Sayan had their respective offices and Ma had her tuitions and school.
We bought 3 appliances/furniture to make the room suitable for my now changed needs. We got a geyser and had the plumbing done such that the shower could get me warm water straigtaway instead of mixing the hot and cold water in a bucket and having to bend down to get the temperate water from the bucket. Father got a lower bathroom hanger at my request. Then, we got father a 1 tonne AC - we had usurped his room because it was bigger than the one we used to originally stay in. Along came a Godrej steel almirah. And true to Godrej's tradition, we found a flaw with the lower shelves immediately and had to raise a ticket to have it fixed. A few days later, the locker refused to lock!
I read up quite a few books during the days spent in bed.
1. Sevel Dials Mystery - Agatha Christie
2. 5 Little Pigs - Agatha Christie
3. Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie
4. To Kill A Mocking Bird - Harper Lee
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
6. The Stars Look Down - A.J Cronin
7. The Plague - Albert Camus
9. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
10. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - I am still trying to finish this awfully amateur vampire-human-werewolf saga.
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