The physiotherapist and her assistant where just getting Marc ready to go down the hall to the therapy room when I arrived. Marc was telling her what the doctor had said yesterday about him going home in two to four weeks.
“Well, he may be a little ahead of himself with that estimate,” said the physiotherapist. “It definitely won’t be two weeks and four might be a bit optimistic. We don’t like to give timelines because every brain heals differently so it’s almost impossible to predict this far in advance.”
This was not the reaction Marc had hoped for.
“My goal is four weeks and that’s what I’m going for,” he declared.
Marc wanted to learn to climb steps. After explaining that he was not ready for steps just yet, they instead taught him low transfers from his wheelchair to a bed. There were a lot of challenging steps to remember. He had to take a step back and really work at this one.
The next lesson was raising himself to stand in front of a walker. The physiotherapist concentrated on his left leg and reminded Marc to “fire” his thigh muscle every time that leg started to give way. Sitting was slow and deliberate, concentrating on staying centered or “on mid-line”.
When they were finished the session, Marc insisted on being taught one more new thing. The physiotherapist agreed and got him to stand holding the walker and transfer his weight from foot to foot.
With that completed, Marc said, “I want you to teach me two new things every day.”
“Two new things?” replied the physiotherapist. “You’re really challenging me to come up with things for you to do.”
Marc figured that since they were challenging him, he would challenge them.
After the session, Marc told me he was feeling very discouraged and confused. He couldn’t figure out why the doctor would tell him he could go home in two to four weeks and the physiotherapist was telling him something different. It was a rough afternoon of reassurances that anything could happen in four weeks and that it was okay to have that goal but that if the goal had to be revised later, that was okay too.
Later he admitted that he was worried about disappointing everyone if he didn’t get to come home in four weeks. We assured him that no one would be disappointed by that. We only want what’s best for him and that his homecoming needs to be safe and right for him. Besides, no one ever expected that he could possibly be home that quickly.
My heart broke for him today. I wish the doctor hadn’t told him that. I hate to see him disappointed if that expectation turns out to be unrealistic.
After his therapy session while we were going down the hall, Marc was quite ticked at the physiotherapist for suggesting he might be there longer.
“I’m going to prove them all wrong,” he said angrily.
I hope for his sake he does.
Prove them wrong Marc! And if you dont we are all so proud of you!
ReplyDeletehe's already proven them all wrong! We are so very proud of him!
ReplyDeleteMarc the power is within you. Strive to achieve and believe in yourself. You are an amazing person and I have no doubt you will teach the doctor and your physiotherapist a thing or two about your recovery... Stay strong my friend, you have made amazing progress and will continue to do so each day!!!
ReplyDeleteAnger is energy, and it seems to me Marc is aiming it all in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wouldn't say he was discouraged - that's too passive. I would say he's dissatisfied. Did you know that dissatisfaction is the motor of creativity? Sounds like he's being very creative when he's telling the PT to challenge him with two new things a day.
Way to go, Marc!