Two Cents Worth
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Time stood still. Time flies. Where has the time gone?
We have all used these statements and many others. We all know time moves at a constant speed and it is our fractured mind that changes pace. That first kiss – not only did time stand still but the entire world stopped turning. When I am late getting away for an appointment I can’t drive fast enough to keep up with how quickly the minutes click by on the dash clock. It may seem like it is taking forever for your child to graduate university, get married or move out of your house but when it happens it feels like those years passed in the blink of an eye.
I have recently been reminded how slow time actually progresses. Been going to a physiotherapist for a few weeks with a sore elbow and a painful heel. A physiotherapist must be really smart because the doctor, after an examination and x-rays, couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me so she sent me for therapy.
During my first visit and assessment the reasons for my discomfort were discovered. Who knew my elbow issue is really a neck problem? The area on both sides of the Achilles tendon is where my heel pain is situated but the reason for the pain actually originates in my hip. So the work began on my hip and my neck with some minor manipulation to my heel and elbow and a few shots of ultrasound.
The first time I knew the physio guy found the offending spot was when I yelped out loud. I was barely able to speak but I uttered breathlessly, “You didn’t tell me it was going to hurt like that.”
“That’s why,” he said with a definite hint of amusement in his voice.
“How long are you going to do that?” I whispered as I gripped the edges of the bed and tears rolled down my cheeks.
“Until it stops hurting.” I think he may have tried to sound comforting.
It only took a minute or two for the intense pain to reduce to a bit of pressure but it seemed like half an hour.
I quickly learned when he was searching for the problem areas, either in my neck or leg, and was able to brace myself for the resulting agony. Slowly over time the suffering has lessened somewhat in severity. Complete healing is also taking its time. I imagined a couple treatments but I guess healing time is relevant to how long it took to do the damage.
Along with this on-site torture they, in my mind, seem to enjoy just a tad too much, they also impose a series of exercises to do at home and this is where I really learned how slowly time actually passes. When you have to place yourself in a very uncomfortable position and then move in such a way to maximize the stretching of certain areas of the body and hold for 30 seconds you quickly learn how extremely slow time passes.
There is one part of the treatment, when he kind of stretches my neck, that feels so good but he only does that for what seems a second and a half even with my coaching to continue.
I guess it will all work out in time.