chapter 569

10/10/2020

Physical Therapy

pain can be very enjoyable

This has been the pinnacle of my recent rehabilitation success. A 2.4 mile round trip to Pinnacle Mountain with Colleen and her daughter Amanda. It's been four months since my right "natural" hip was injured doing some physical activity. Though for sure I'd need a hip replacement on it but it has been recovering.

After one month of limited hip functionality having excessive pain just walking to mailbox and lifting leg to get into my car I got an xray but radiologist merely said mild arthritis. Doctor suggested PT but I prefer to do it on my own so I was climbing ladders, doing brake jobs, refurbishing my deck surface, etc. But the key factor to recovery was when I did the low crawl on my back under the deck like an inch worm to work on a drainage structure. It was immediately after that that pain was greatly reduced in hip.

So after a couple weeks I felt like climbing Mount Olga in Vermont would be a good test. I went slow somewhat dragging the right leg up the mountain to maybe put it under only 60% load. Success, made the 1.8 mile round trip without further damaging anything. Lying in bed during the night I could feel the nerves in the whole right leg pulsating and causing pain to the bottom of the right foot. I knew this was a good sign. The femoral nerve was decompressing from the L2 - L3 lumbar vertebrae. My theory is a misalignment on the spine caused the pinched nerve which feeds the muscles of the leg. The pain and inability to fire especially the Adductor Longus and Pectineus resulted in the pain at the upper attachment at the pubic bone just in front of the hip joint capsule. Still gonna see my orthopedic surgeon next month for consultation (takes 3 months to get an appointment anyway).

Buoyed by the Olga success, felt like it would be good to test my theory a few days later on Vrooman's Nose and take the steeper trail up (and to avoid some of the crowd). 

It was a full success and this quiet vantage point is quite nice at the end of the steeper trail away from the crowds. We did meet some drunks from Tennessee proceeding down this side with beer and wine in their mits.

Colleen called me the sheep whisperer at this Barton Hill Jacobs sheep farm.

This is what they look like up close when they think you got food in your hand. Very gentle and cute. Unique horn structure on this British breed - all females.

It was a gloomy day but just felt the urge to get out on the Anthony Kill for a short trip for some minimal PT balance (upper body). The recent wind storm gave me the opportunity for some major upper body workout with chainsaw at son's house.

Don't want to get into the real world of real extreme pain and suffering. I have friends facing life and death issues right now, some from my email list. You can call it my superficiality or looking on the bright side. Whatever. Here is one heart warming side story from a long time buddy's grandson appearance on The Ellen Show.

Thinking 5.5 mile Moxham Mountain solo tomorrow? Ironic that I did use physical therapy as a byline 13 years ago in Chapter 146 hiking the Catskills to remedy my herniated back disc.

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