Starting on Light Physical Therapy

I am still in significant pain but I'm now managing to accomplish a few small things for very short durations each day.  It hurts to do anything but I'm getting up off the couch a few times each day.  Although the pain is still rather brutal, I have started on some very light physical therapy which should help in my recovery.

My spinal injuries are another one of those things where I get knocked down and sent back to square one far too often.  This is definitely one of those times.  Actually, this time around, the pain is so bad and so consistent that it is reminding me of my original line-of-duty injury.  Things were bad after both my first and second line-of-duty spinal injuries so it is a bit frustrating to be back at this point 25 years ago once again.  

25 years ago, the physical therapy required to walk fairly normally again was intense...  eight hours a day, five days a week, for six weeks.  After the six weeks, the amount of time in physical therapy each day tapered off slowly to just mornings for a while.  After my morning sessions, I would then head to a gym to continue a workout.  I was determined to be put on worldwide status again as soon as possible so I worked hard to be fit for duty again.  I volunteered for a few different combat duties overseas to prove I had put the injuries behind me.  When I called one of my counterparts in DC to inquire about my combat duty applications, he advised me to sit down because he had some news for me...  he then explained that I was now facing a mandatory disability retirement but, since he knew me and knew what I wanted, he also explained how to appeal this ruling.  Anyway, this latest setback and pain has definitely been reminiscent of my first two injuries and the very comprehensive physical therapy required to get beyond the injuries. 

With this latest setback, the pain originating in my lumbar spine is excruciating at times and brutal the rest of the time.  I'm still experiencing pain from my lumbar spine, across my pelvis to my hip, down through my groin, down the inside and front of my thigh and down into my shin but I'm feeling well enough now to start on physical therapy.  The sooner I start with my daily physical therapy, the sooner I can get back to some sort of normal...  well, new normal.  

At the moment, I'm only doing two physical therapy stretching exercises a couple of times a day.  I tried a third stretch but that particular stretch was far too painful the moment I started it so I aborted that.  Just getting down on the floor is difficult and painful enough but getting back up is even more difficult and painful!

So, for very short durations, I've been working on a few things throughout the day when I feel up to it.  I have two priorities at the moment (beyond physical therapy)...  spending some quality time at the piano and preparing for two upcoming eclipses.  

Preparing for a solar eclipse requires a lot of time and effort and, unfortunately, the chances we'll have good enough weather during this two hour period is slim to none.   I need to prepare anyway just in case the weather is cooperative.  

My guess is that those of us in the Waterbury area have only a 5-10% chance of being able to view this eclipse.  November through April/May is our long winter period of almost constant overcast skies, rain, snow, fog and just lousy dreary weather.  Regardless of these slim chances for acceptable weather, I still need to prepare just in case we get lucky...  which I hope we do!  I highly doubt I'll be around for our next total solar eclipse in another 25 years.

I've been hoping to get another one or two piano recordings done too.  I had a goal of having this done by early March but it is quite obvious now that is not going to happen since it is already early March and I'm in no physical condition to get through any single piece nevermind deal with all the recording gear and lighting for video recording.  

I can't sit at the piano for longer than about five minutes at a time and even those five minutes are painful which significantly impacts my concentration so my short periods of time at the piano are more about piano exercises and technique than mastering any pieces.  

This upcoming solar eclipse is requiring the most time and effort though.  There is a lot of planning to do.  We also have an upcoming total lunar eclipse too later this month.  The chances of the skies being clear for that are also just as slim but I still need to plan.  Most of my planning has been related to the solar eclipse though.  There are quite a few photos and videos I'd like to get of this solar eclipse.  I've seen enough lunar eclipses so the lunar eclipse isn't much of a priority but it would be nice to squeeze that in too, if possible.

Today I wandered out to the backyard to make sure we'll be able to see the full solar eclipse from our backyard.  (Hmmm...  I haven't checked to see if I will be able to see the lunar eclipse from our backyard yet so I need to do that too.)  Fortunately, that part of the sky is not blocked by trees but I can't use my permanent telescope pier at the front end of the house.  I'll need to set up telescopes on tripods deep in our backyard to see the whole solar eclipse.  I'll set up a couple of tables and some chairs back there too.

While I was outside today, I pulled down some Christmas wreaths.  I raked the lawn very briefly.  Then I walked the backyard a few times as another form of physical therapy.

Although I'm now accomplishing a few things in very short durations, I've been thrust back to day one of physical therapy for my spinal injuries.  I'm hobbling around with a cane but most of my time is spent on the couch.  I'm very slowly improving though...  I wish this recovery would be significantly faster and less painful though!