If you asked me 4 months ago if I would be under neurology I would have laughed. Through my illness and all my sports I have never needed any neurology input or intensive physio input like I am getting just now.
This physio is so tough and really hard work. Physio previously has been hard work particularly when coming back from injury in sport. There would be a lot of hours put in doing exercises to strength the muscles surrounding the injury and then stabilising the injury and building up from that but this is so different.
(the gym in the neuro physiotherapy department)
I have had a wide variety of injuries over the years requiring physio input and more often than not it is a 8-12 week recovery. Naively I went in to my first physio appointment thinking that it would be 12 weeks max and I would be back to where I was before. It really didnt sink in until the 2nd physio session that I would be in this for the long haul.
The second physio session I just broke down. It was out of frustration. I was given homework to try and stimulate feeling and sensation in my leg using different textures. I was running through what I had to do when I asked when will the feeling come back. That question is like asking how long is a piece of string. There is no answer. It is doubtful that all the feeling will come back or even if any feeling will come back. When I heard this I just broke down. I was already on the edge when I was going over my home work with the physio as I knew I should be able to feel the glove, towel, and velcro on my skin but I couldn’t. I felt so strange because I know what I should be feeling but I just couldn’t feel it. Im young. Im supposed to be able to feel my leg.
I have managed to balance myself out and know that this is not going to be a quick fix but I am also aware that there might not be a fix. My physio sessions focus on what I can do and how I can get back to being as independent as possible. A lot of the work is making my knee and hip more aware of what my leg is doing rather than my foot doing it because well I cant feel my foot!
It is really hard work. Harder work than I ever thought it would be. I mentally need to keep my head in the game and stay focussed no matter how tough it gets I need to get my independence back and being able to walk semi normally!
I am so grateful for the neurology input and neurology physio I am getting as I know others who have waited a lot longer than I have. I am still waiting for various tests on my nerves which will come in due course.
ANONYMOUS-ASTHMA 