Melinda Palacio
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| Month 4 of my broken leg. Not quite healed, but getting better (this is an old X-ray). |
For
the past couple of weeks, I've been receiving treatment for my broken leg at
the Southern Orthopedic Specialists in New Orleans. Although a friend recommended
Tulane for physical therapy, the place where team members of the Saints are
treated, the same institution that operated on my leg suggested that I stay
within their network. Since my insurance covered the physical therapy
treatment, I was happy to oblige.
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| Physical Therapist, Marsh, manipulates my foot. |
When
I tell most people that I am undergoing physical therapy, they look at me with
extreme pity, as if the doctors were water boarding me for days on end. I
actually enjoy physical therapy, probably because I enjoy exercising in
general. I spend most of my day in front of a computer and often feel the need
to engage in some sort of exercise, preferably yoga. In fact, although I
couldn't walk for the first three months of my accident, I was able to keep up
my yoga practice in bed. Special thanks to my teacher, Julie Nail who emailed
me non-weight bearing poses. She helped me remain, positive, strong, and
flexible during those early months of infirmity and not being able to walk .
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| Julie Nail from Divinitree Yoga in Santa Barbara (photo by Lerina Winters) |
At
the Southern Orthopedic Specialists (S.O.S.), I experienced a very fun type of
weightless therapy, the Alter G, Anti-Gravity Treadmill. This doesn't mean I
have the training to go for a spacewalk. However, walking in the bubble of air,
allowed me to feel a type of weightlessness and I was able to improve my gait.
With a neoprene pair of shorts, I zipped myself into the Alter G machine, while
air filled the bottom of the cage with air, allowing me to eliminate much of my
body weight. I felt like a baby being hoisted by the armpits as my legs
re-learned how to walk. And then the fun part began, walking backwards in the
Alter G treadmill.
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| The Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill |
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| Clicking my heels for a speedier recovery |
I
must admit, there are two things I highly dislike about physical therapy. After
the stretches and exercises are done, the therapist manipulates your foot and
uses a hands on approach to get a feel for how much your range of motion has
improved. I could do without the pulling and twisting of my foot in ways that a
broken ankle should not be moved. Each therapy session ended with an arctic
blast of an ice cold pack wrapped around both of my feet for fifteen minutes. I
don't even like ice in a glass of water, let alone, wrapped around my foot for
what seems like hours. The therapists laughed at my pained facial expressions
each time they applied the ice packs.
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| There's No Place Like Home |
One
of the perks of physical therapy in New Orleans, during the month of October,
meant I had the opportunity to participate in the city's Halloween Festivities.
New Orleans is a spooky and haunted place on any given night, but the place to
be on is Molly's bar in the French Quarter. The bar hosts a parade with a brass
band, carriage riders, and marchers. The best part is anyone can join the
parade. Since I wanted to be in that number, I made sure to wear comfortable shoes. I glittered a pair of comfortable
leather and transformed them into Ruby Slippers for my Dorothy costume. Thanks to the therapists at S.O.S. and my yoga teachers, I was ready to march, walk, and strut.
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| In front of Molly's |
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| Catching Throws from the Carriage Riders |
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| Glittering Shoes is Fun |
