My GP Approves

Consulting with my GP

It is now nine weeks post surgery and I am feeling pretty good! Time to see my GP and assess whether I am ready to go back to work.

She seems pleased with my progress after checking me out.

I tell her that HR at work and the insurer need a letter saying that I am fit to start back on a graduated return to work.

She is happy to provide and away I go.

Physiotherapy – V

Now that my two doctors have signed off on me, it is over to getting my muscles to work properly again. More exercise, more stretching, more massage, and more movement is the ticket.

Physio Mark is thoroughly brutal. There is no easy way with him. If I can do the exercise then we need to add another one. If this massage doesn’t cause pain, then it is time to move to another area. There are lots of knots and adhesions to be dealt with.

I keep working hard on movement, particularly now that the joint and my general health have been approved. Some days it feels like no progress at all, but I know there is always a little.

The Paperwork

My insurer wants the letter faxed or a copy attached to an email. To do this I need to get to some technology. This took a couple of days to sort out and then that goes away. I am starting to feel impatient. I will just have to concentrate on my exercises.

Outside Activities

I am doing some dog walking, although my lower back and hip flexors are still very stiff and weak. Walking around Trout Lake has proved to be a good measure at about a kilometre around the lake. I started, needing to rest 3 times and have worked up to completing a lap in one go.

Gardening consumes me. I dig and pull weeds with a kitchen timer at my side. 12 minutes on, 3 minutes off, two cycles, take a break inside and catch my breath for half an hour. Rinse and repeat. Currently I can do three of these cycles a day.

Still taking a muscle relaxant with my acetaminophen and taking it as often as allowed. Sleep is very rocky and I wake up every few hours. I still cannot lie on the side of the surgery, but I am sleep enough and napping during the day.

This is hard but rewarding work that I know will pay off over time.