Monday, June 23, 2014

Thinking time

So this blog thing is a lot harder than I ever thought that it would be. I am having a hard time coming up with topics to talk about. This isn't a blog about what I do every day so there is no real reason to talk about that. I have to think a bunch in order to come up with topics that I should write about. I want to write about things that people in my position may go through so I hope that this is helping even though I don't post much. Im trying!

This time I am going to talk my thoughts "out loud" on my occupation therapy. I have been doing a lot of gym time. That is pretty much all I do for my therapy now. I have passed the rehabilitation phase and now I am into the recovery phase. With that being said, I don't really know how much my occupational therapy is doing for me. For those that don't really know, OT is pretty much just working on my shoulder. I have been doing it twice a week since I became an outpatient at the VA. The only thing that I do at OT is electric stimulation on my shoulder and then use a machine that works on my grip, pinch, and hand strength. It has, however, gotten to the point that I don't think the electric stimulation, or E-stim, is doing anything for me anymore. I feel that I am getting just as much result from lifting weights as I am for the E-stim.
I used to use E-stim on my whole shoulder. Front, side, rear, and rotation of it. Now the only thing that I need to work on with the E-stim is external rotation. That is, keeping my elbow at my side and rotating my arm so my wrist is as far away from my body as it can be. That is the only part of my shoulder that is still lacking enough that I feel I need to work on.
Holding the heavy weights and other things while in the gym is what is working my grip strength. I don't feel that my pinch is too much weaker. I know that it is from the last tests that I did but I don't feel that the machine is helping me out anymore. I don't know. I think that I might just make OT once a week and use the time to get to the gym longer. We will see how it goes at the next few sessions.
Thursday I am actually going to the pre separation counseling so I will let everyone know how that goes. I was supposed to go the other week but they told me once I got there I was supposed to be in uniform. I haven't worn a uniform in over a year!! I had no idea. I have my uniform all set already so it should be an easy day. I just hope it leaves me time for the gym. We shall see!


Opportunities don't happen, you create them. ~Chris Grosser



No comments:

Post a Comment