The phantom physical therapist

Larry the PT came today and since he's not allowed to have his picture taken (agency rules) I took a photo of his legs and his bag, which comes equipped with two types of hand sanitizer, masks, latex gloves, covers on which to put his equipment, a thermometer, blood pressure monitor, pulsox meter, as well as goggles he's no longer required to wear and paper gowns and shoe covers.  It's a good thing that case has wheels.

I was able to get him to walk to the mailboxes with me, so he could see how my gait changes and give me feedback.  When I reached the point in the hall where I fell last week, I could feel my leg start to weaken and he told me that from there on I limped, though I wasn't aware of it.  He also noticed that I tend to put weight on my left (weak) leg when doing different tasks, probably because that one used to be my stronger leg - a habit I'll have to unlearn.  He tested my leg strength and showed me some new exercises I can do while lying down.  

Since I'm not walking as much as I used to, I asked him about what kind of home exercise machine might be best for me and he thought a bike pedal trainer would be more beneficial than an elliptical.  So I've started looking into what's out there, which covers a range of styles and prices.  He will also consult with the agency's ortho consultant about what kind of soft brace might be best for supporting the knee.

So it was a very productive session and we'll meet again next week, when I've had a chance to work on the new exercises.  But it tired me out.

The Extra is a shot of Manda and the boys.