With 3 days to go before it will be exactly 2 months since surgery day, i figured it was time to write another post on an update of what's been going on. (so much for trying to remain diligent to all the things happening to me concerning my neck!)
So, the biggest new thing about my neck is that I've started physical therapy. Both Dr.Clayton (my general physician) and Dr. Schnittker (my simple neuro surgeon) are thoroughly impressed at the speed with which I've recovered. And since the last appointment with Dr. Schnittker, in which i got x-rayed, I've had a recurrence of the strange acne breakout which was an allergic reaction from the steroid i was on for surgery. It's not the only thing that's taking it's time in going away. The bit of impetigo i have on my left arm is still there, though now it just looks like a bit of reddish scar tissue in one spot and a barley there redness in the other spot. Mom tells me that the fact it's taking so long to go away is a pretty strong sign that it truly was a small case impetigo (which, again, is really weird to have gotten as a side effect from my stay in the hospital.)
So after waiting a week or however long it took for Schnittker's office to set up my P.T., i went to my first session last Thursday (September 1st). After filling out the paperwork (which, before was given over to me, the nice woman behind the desk spent a lot of time looking at mom and explaining things to fill out, after which I took it instead of mom, which earned me a puzzled look from the woman. I then, because i had already assumed and guessed accurately why she was confused, i told Mom she could take care of the scheduling part while i took care of the paperwork because, after all, i am 20. The woman kinda gasped and laughed and then apologized to me, telling me she hadn't thought i was that old, that i looked to be closer to 17 than 20. I suppose we Jozwiak women hold the secret to eternal youth, not looking our age. ha ha ha)
After that was all done, (and after i accidentally dated all the areas in need of a date in the month of August instead of September (give me a break, it was the 1st day of the month after all!)) i went around a corner to the rest of the therapy room and hopped up on a padded table and met with my therapist, Renee. She asked me what i wanted to accomplish from therapy (after, of course, we chatted a bit as to what had led me to needed therapy in the first place) and i stated i wanted to get my full range of movement back in my neck. You really don't realize the importance of something until it's gone, and i have been getting so many tension headaches simply from looking downward to much or sleeping at slightly different angles (although God has been most gracious in blessing us with unconscious movements, because anytime i move in my sleep that causes my neck discomfort, I'm guessing, I've woken up with one of my hands or arms laying against my neck supporting it)
So after lying back on the table and Renee manipulating my head around a bit, she gave me an exercise to do, in which I simply turn my head completely to the side, so my chin is over one shoulder, hold it for 5 seconds, then turn my head forward again, and then turn my head to the other shoulder.
After so many reps of that, she gave me another exercise in which I now turn my head in such a way that I try and touch my ear to my shoulders (although only pushing so far that if I feel pain of any sort I back off) In this case, pain is NOT gain, so Renee has told me.
The last exercise i was given was to, in a sitting position, shrug my shoulders back so that i was trying to, in a sense, touch my shoulder blades together.
These exercises i am now required to do 3 times a day, 7 reps held for 5 seconds. In all honesty, i have not been extremely diligent in doing them, but maybe that's because the exercises involving my head give me a tension headache like you wouldn't believe. The pain travels up the right side of the back of my head, curves over behind my right ear, and stretches out across my forehead from there, and refuses to go away until a significant amount of time has passed in which i do not move my head that much. Ice and heat help relieve it, as does Advil, but it's still there. Ugh.
I had my 2nd session of therapy yesterday, in which Renee started with, after i mentioned the headache, wrapping my neck in heat for 10 minutes, then removed it and told me to do some stretches (head turns and bends again) after a little bit she rubbed my neck, pulled it, bent it, all that jazz, and to finish it all up, she then wrapped my neck in ice for 10 minutes which was great because i couldn't feel any pain with ice. Ice, Renee tells me, is the best for when i feel pain.
At home, i usually use a bag of frozen corn of peas as an ice pack (because it molds to an area it's placed on much nicer) and i also use Icy/Hot ointment (conveniently found at your nearest pharmacy or general store such as Target.)
And here i sit, another day later, and only half my head hurts, most likely from the few moments i spent picking up sticks in the yard blown off the trees from the rain and wind of last night. The little twigs i collect make the absolute best tinder for starting fires, in my opinion :)
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