My First Day of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy

My first day of Physical Therapy outside of the hospital was December 20, 2012 (2 days after my discharge from the hospital). I had to take my walker with me because I could not apply too much pressure on my legs for very long. Sometimes I would catch a cramp in my calf and it would cripple me....bringing me to the ground. I never fell because I always had my parents or siblings or any family member right there by my side. During this physical therapy appointment we did the "6 Minute Walk Test" and I was able to walk approximately 740 feet in that 6 minutes. That is way below average, but I was limping at that time. I was very weak.

My first day of Occupational Therapy was December 31, 2012. This appointment helped me a lot. I was not aware of how weak my arms were until I got down on all fours and my arms began to shake. Those of you who know a lot about what I am going through, know that I also have Raynaud's Syndrome. This is when your fingers turn blue and get ice cold at random times...even in the Summer! Because of this I have sores on the tip of a few of my fingers. So, one of the occupational therapists that was assigned to me is also a hand specialist. She gave me so many tips about how to live with Raynaud's and tricks about how to take the pain away. That day, after I got home, my little sister and I went and bought a paraffin bath and paraffin wax. This was one of the recommendations the OT gave me. It works so well and it keeps my blood circulating in my fingers longer. I do the paraffin treatment multiple times throughout the day. It even moisturizes my skin! Love it!