Reinforcing Bad Behavior

[ladysprite]

So I've been dealing with a chronic shoulder/neck problem for about three months now. Meds didn't help, and just made me sicker. Neurologist punted me down the line to a physical therapist, who (after I started to show some improvement and then plateaued) more or less informed me that unless I change careers I am never going to get better and am wasting her time.

(Okay. What she actually said was that I need to change the height of my writing/typing desk at work. When informed repeatedly that I do not have a writing/typing desk at work she just sighed and told me I wasn't being cooperative. She also told me that I need to adjust how I work so that I never lean forward, lean back, turn to the right, lift anything, or raise my arm above shoulder level. Not quite an option. Also I'm not allowed to do any strength work or exercise.)

Anyway, I made a unilateral decision to look into acupuncture. And I had my first appointment yesterday, and it was surprisingly amazing, and I feel better than I have since August. The acupuncturist thinks I could do well, but wants to see me pretty frequently - twice a week, at first. So I made another appointment for this morning.

And now I have bronchitis. Unfortunately, the Wellness Center does not allow for short-term cancellations. So in spite of the fact that I'm running a fever, coughing up nasty gunk, and it hurts to breathe, my choices are to go in anyway, cough all over their staff, and not get much benefit because I can't lie facedown for an hour, or swallow the $50 copay (which is a lot of money right now) and stay home.

(Incidentally, people always seem to specify that they're coughing up icky stuff. Is there really an alternative? Are there people out there who cough up delicacies and beautiful tidbits? *hack gag wheeze choke* 'Oh, look, butterflies and rosebuds!')

I suppose it's a sign of how far I've come in my self-work that I'm staying the hell home. I'll call the Wellness Center when they open, and ask them if they really want to reinforce the idea that people should share their germs, but if need be... I'll lose the money. I just hate choosing between which health problem I get to pander to today.....

Comments

[etherial.livejournal.com]

the Wellness Center does not allow for short-term cancellations

This is clearly a business decision that they would rather deal with you coughing up yoghurt than having the room empty. I say go.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

That is a rotten position to be in. They should at least let you reschedule and roll it forward.

[tikva.livejournal.com]

I hope you feel better soon! I didn't know you were sick when I texted you; feel free to ignore the text. *hugs!*

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Well... if you say "coughing up stuff" then people will probably fill in "potentially icky" but there can also be a step where one is coughing and getting *something*, and that sometimes comes before coughing and getting something that comes in Zombie Apocalypse flavor.

If you tell them you're Really Sick, they'll probably let you cancel, even late. They mostly want to avoid "just didn't feel like showing up to get needles stuck in me".

(

[wren13.livejournal.com]

Your physical therapist is an idiot - basically they are telling you not to work, and not listening to the work description you do give. I'd try a massage therapist with the acupuncture, that seems to work best with my neck/shoulder issues (which I'm pretty sure are due to all the driving I do, not my job - just a thought).

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

'Oh, look, butterflies and rosebuds!'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamonds_and_Toads

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

I thought of that immediately as well...

"Know that diamonds and roses

are as uncomfortable when they tumble from

one's lips as toads and frogs:

colder, too, and sharper, and they cut."

[dornbeast.livejournal.com]

And in later years, after the diamond market had crashed, the other sister had a small success running a restaurant which sold frog's legs.

[jdulac.livejournal.com]

fwiw, Chinese traditional herbal doctors have the cure for bronchitis. It tastes vile, but it works. Check out E. Shan Tang in Allston.

[jdulac.livejournal.com]

oh, and a good physical therapist is supposed to try to get you to be functional *at what you do*, not tell you not to do it. You might try a sports-oriented therapy place. They are familiar with the person who needs to be doing this very hard thing no matter what, and working to help you do it.

[citabria]

Thirded on the sports medicine clinic.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

The physical therapist may also be running from a script dictated by the PTB, under which no deviation from standard phraseology is allowed and any "refusal to follow medical advice" becomes cause for denial of claims. The failure to understand clear English still argues for her idiocy, though.

I second the idea of trying a sports-medicine PT clinic.