Physical Therapy and Hybresis: By Robin Janney

Monday marks the start of my second week of physical therapy.

Truthfully I feel kind of silly for being in physical therapy for something as "simple" as plantar fasciitis.  That's just a fancy way of saying that my plantar tendon has been torn and is inflamed because of those micro-tears.  Micro or not, they hurt.

I hope no one's offended by a foot pic...

Being off work has lessened the pain, but it hasn't erased it entirely.  And the brace that I wear at night causes ankle pain and swelling (that no one seems to think important)  What you can't see in the photo I've posted is the thick plastic support piece that runs up the outside of the leg.  There's a hole to release the pressure against the ankle bone, but it does not do a good enough job.

Lately, I have awakened in the middle of the night in such pain that I take the thing off and finish the night without it.  I shouldn't be doing that...but it hurts and it's the only way I know to stop it!

Part of the physical therapy, which I saw coming and knew of no way to stop, is the stretching they make me do with my foot.  How can something heal if it's being stretched?  I don't know, but I ache more after therapy than I do going in.  Of course, almost to the end, the foot does get massaged.  The therapist seems to know how to hit all the hot spot pressure points of pain too!  Especially the last one I had.  She didn't just massage the foot and ankle, but also the back of my calf up to my knee.  Her reasoning was that many people with plantar problems will develop pain and tender spots in their calf and not even realize it.  She wasn't kidding!

Please forgive another foot pic...

After that part is over, which admittedly is my favorite part, comes my least favorite part.  The Hybresis iontophoresis treatment.  Which breaks down to mean that the device uses a small electrical charge to push a medicine through my skin.  In my second picture, I am wearing the large medicated band-aid and Hybresis device.  The medicine, a steroid, is on the pad under the foot on the "negative" end of the charge and on the "positive" end is a saline solution.  Oddly enough it is on the saline end that I feel the most current!  And let me tell you, my foot does NOT like it!  I actually feel nothing at all on the medicated end and I can only hope the medicine is going into where it needs to be.

Being off work has completely messed up my normal routine.  By the time I get adjusted to it, I'll be all healed and on my way back to work!  That is how these things tend to happen, yes?

While I haven't gotten a jump on anything for my blog, which I need to, I have made progress with my sequel to Farmer's Daughter.  I think I might be closer to being done than I thought.  I still have gaps to fill, a couple rather large ones, but I'm edging closer to completion!  And that's exciting.  I haven't worked on it yet today, Sunday, because for most of the afternoon I was at a baby shower for a relative.  But the night is young yet.

It's hard financially being off of work.  I've got bills due this week that I'm not sure how they're going to be paid.  And I have to buy new boots for work too, as well as inserts for them.  How and with what, I'm not sure yet.  I am receiving short term disability, but it's not that much. Not compared to a full paycheck. I have a few leads to investigate, but regardless I know hubby and I will be okay.  Eventually.

In the meantime, I'll be keeping ice on my foot - I tie it on with a piece of denim I chopped off leg-bottoms of new jeans.  And elevating it while icing.  Even though I'm guessing at the right way to ice it anymore!  The nurses and doctors always say 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.  The physical therapist says NO! to that - it should be 10-15 minutes every hour.  Uhm, ok, I'm glad we cleared that up!

Also, for any local readers who are interested - I will be speaking at the June book club meetings at the Bradford County Library on June 17th.  It starts at 1pm.  It's going to be a tad embarrassing sitting down for it, but I'll deal.  I hope to see some of you there.

Question for the readers: What fun things have you been up to so far this summer?  I would love to be out walking and enjoying the nice weather.

A pretty picture to make up for making you look at my foot...