Going with the Flo

Thursday, 10/21.  Sean had a follow up appointment w/ Dr. Silver at 9:45, then his first PT appointment at 11:15.  The two offices are right down the hall from each other, so fortunately there was no travel in between.  Mornings were tough and we knew the night before it would be tough getting out the door at 9.  As expected, Sean was in a lot of pain when he woke up - even more pain than usual.  It took a while to get out of the house and when we did, Sean couldn't even get his leg into my car.  The way the dash is positioned, he had to really bend his knee to get it in, and though it was tough, he'd been able to get in every other time.  The pain was so intense and became even more excruciating when the knee moved or bent.  Pat had just gotten to our house as we were trying to get him in the car and quickly suggested that we just get him into his car instead.  We first tried the front seat, but that wasn't working either.  Finally, yet very painfully, Sean was able to stretch out across the backseat with a couple of pillows around him leg.  At this point we knew we were going to be very late to the appointment with Dr. Silver.  And Sean was in the backseat in terrible, awful pain.  I called Dr. Silver's office and explained to his nurse that I needed to talk to Dr. Silver right away.  Within minutes Dr. Silver was calling us back and told us that he could skip the appointment with him and just go straight to PT.  But we were already in the car and halfway there.  I asked Dr. Silver to call down to the PT office and explain the situation to them, so they would be expecting him to arrive an hour or so early.  Sean kept saying he didn't think he'd be able to get out of car, so I called the PT office and asked if we could have some help getting him inside.  The person I spoke to, Matt, was very courteous and helpful, said someone would meet us outside.  When we first pulled up, I didn't see anyone waiting, so I ran inside the building to find someone.  About halfway down the hall, I noticed a lady with a Sports and More PT name tag heading towards the door.  The nametag read, Flo, Owner.  I asked if she was coming to help us and introduced myself as Sean's wife.  As we walked and talked I immediately felt her confidence.  She went right over to the car, literally climbed into the backseat with Sean and began a 5 minute or so….hmmm, chat?  Pat and I stood outside the car and listened as she confidently talked to Sean.  She gave him quite the pep talk and already, she had my attention.   I was listening and would not be getting in her way.  Then, seemingly all of a sudden, she said you're going to get out of the car now and preceded to grab Sean's leg(!) and PULL him out of the car.  I've joked several times since that she was getting his leg out of the car, whether or not the rest of him came was up to him.  Y'all this was the hardest thing to watch during this whole ordeal.  As she was pulling, he looked at me, gave me the worst look and mouthed do something!  I immediately burst into tears and hid behind a concrete column so he couldn't see me.  Not surprisingly, Sean let out a few choice words during that scene and Flo immediately gave him a lesson on that.  She said to him, "You will NOT use profanity in my clinic and you will NOT use the Lord's name in vain."  Yes ma'am.  At that point, I wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but I did have a feeling that we were at the right place.  Sean on the other hand, probably thought Flo's PT clinic was the worst idea for him, ever.  

That first day was obviously very, very tough on Sean.  Even though his appointment wasn't for another hour, Flo took Sean over to one of the tables and let him stretch out with a pillow under his knee.  She quickly pointed out that the pillow wouldn't be there much longer, but that she would allow it for the time being.  She spoke to all of us about Sean's situation, explained her experience with nerve pain and CRPS, and confidently gave Sean a very positive prognosis.  For the first time since the surgery, I felt like I was speaking to someone who had no doubts about the appropriate next steps.  But still, Sean was the one in pain and I don't think he was quite as confident in the beginning. 

Sean had a therapy session in the pool that Friday, then again on Monday.  On Tuesday he went in for a second nerve block.  That block went about as well as the first, but the exception was what followed this one.  The block was done at 10am.  At 2:15, Sean was at PT, working with Flo.  Since the nerve block was providing short term pain relief, they were able to do exercises that would have normally been impossible.  And all the mobility was what they were saying was going to ultimately treat the nerve pain.    

Dr. Merritt, the pain management physician, injected about 20% more numbing medicine during the second block, so Sean was hoping to get a little more relief from this one.  And he may have.  Although, since he worked out as hard as he did, the nerve pain was only replaced by knee pain. 

Sean had two more tough therapy sessions and Wednesday and Thursday.  Thursday afternoon his pain was again intense and excruciating.  We were all frustrated because it seemed like he had been making progress all week.  We were in Wilson that night b/c we wanted to watch the NCSU v. FSU game with the crowd.  Once Sean was medicated enough that the pain was relieved and  couldn't keep his eyes open to watch the game, I convinced him to go upstairs and sleep in a bed…next to his wife.  That was the first night we'd spent together in exactly one month.  

The next morning, Sean woke up and actually felt pretty good.  We came back to Raleigh for an afternoon PT appointment and before his session had a little sit-down with Flo.  We talked to her about the progress, the set-backs, and the next steps.  It was a great 'therapy' session, even though there was nothing physical about it.  Sean left the clinic that day with a new outlook on his recovery.  He realized that he had a choice.  He could let the pain control him or he could take control of the pain.  He knew it was time he took charge of the situation.  

Coincidentally, I had my own 'session' with Flo on Thursday.  I had called to talk to her about what I should be doing and what I should expecting.  Her biggest suggestion was for me was to make things as normal as possible for Sean.  Before I went to Wilson that afternoon, I came home and transformed our couch back to a couch.  I took all of Sean's 'bedding' away and the air mattress upstairs.  I wanted him to come home to a 'normal' house and for him to go to bed at night upstairs, like 'normal'.   That was my first step.  So when we came home Friday afternoon, after our mental session with Flo and his physical session with Beth, his normal therapist, the house was back to normal.  Friday night marked Sean's first night sleeping in his own bed, next to his wife.  

Sunday (Halloween) was a big milestone day for Sean.  He lifted his leg with no assistance 5 times, twice!  He showered completely own his own.  He even did a few chores around the house.  How's that for normal!?  

On Monday, he went down the stairs with no help for the first time!  He also got in and out of the car with no assistance, even lifting his leg, using his strength.  WOW! 

November has continued to bring significant improvements.  Sean has made a serious commitment to exercising at home.  He even went back to work this week.  He's still on crutches, but bearing significant weight on his leg when walking.  This Friday, Sean will be working out with Flo.  She's told him last Friday what they'd be doing.  He will be standing on his right leg (the bad one) and writing the alphabet in the air with his left left.  But only A through F, the first letter in Flo.  

Here a few pictures from one of Sean's pool sessions.  These were taken on 10/29.  Did you know that a pool noodle was a favorite therapy tool?