Holly's Notes and Condition

June 25th - Breakthrough with Physical Therapy

Gina really worked me over today - but it paid off. Butterfly stretch - now I'm only 3" from touching my right elbow on the mat. And even though I have cording going on at my shoulder - I can now raise my arm straight up, all the way extended above my head without any pain. That raising out to the side and up - even that has progressed with more range of motion upward - but I still feel that one. She worked on the cording on my arm, distally today - meaning she worked more at my wrist, as opposed to at my elbow and she got one of her 'release sound' pops, along my forearm - the indentation at the inside of my elbow isn't as pronounced and doesn't bother me as much today. For some reason today - I had emotion well up on me, as she worked on my arm - tears came and not because it hurt - it was more a release of pent up emotion - sadness, grief, a feeling of loss, uncertainty and it washed over me and then it was gone and I felt better. I still have some 'puffiness' along my right side - so she massaged that area - clearing a path for the built up fluid to drain down through my pelvis. My right arm doesn't feel swollen at all. Gina is saying at this juncture that she doesn't see lymphedema in my right arm, but I need to keep working and redirecting the lymph along my right side - as that has been swollen and feels congested more often. She didn't wrap my arm with the compression bandages, as a matter of fact, she only wants me to wrap my arm at night, if I feel the need. We worked for an hour and a half today, as I was her last patient of the day. The other name for the 'nerve cording' that I have, is 'axilla web syndrome' - I feel sooooo much better, knowing that what I have has a name, OK, not really - and frankly 'cording' sounds so much less severe than a 'syndrome' or even a 'thrombosed' vein - I think I'll stick with 'nerve cording' as that I can visualize gently unknotting, untwisting and restoring a nice even flow of energy - that I can visualize recovering from completely, which is my goal.

posted by Holly @ 12:32 PM