Well I have to say that I should know better!
Yesterday a Community Physiotherapist came to visit as I had requested a mobility assessment. I have no mobility aids, and spend most of my day leaning on whatever furniture I am walking past – or Mick. I really just wanted some advice on what type of aid would be best and where to get them from.
She launched into a lecture about how it is important to do lots of exercises every day to make sure my muscles don’t get weak. When I told her that my Osteopath had given me some gentle exercises, she told me this would not be enough. She then asked me to walk up and down the room for a minute then started talking to me. After one time my legs started aching and got really heavy. By the time I had done it again I could hardly lift my leg – sat down after that even though she didn’t want me to.
I am sick of feeling as though I am slack because someone has no idea about the condition… in fact she condescendingly told me that exercising unfit muscles will always hurt because they are not used to it. This to someone who trained to do a small triathlon in 6 months – I know about normal muscle training!
Anyway, end result is that this morning I laid in bed for 2 hours unable to get up… hardly able to move. My poor baby Deapha (Just have to add she is a dog – not neglecting a child) was wining for an hour because she wanted to go and lie in the sun. I couldn’t let her out – finally she gave up and joined me on the bed.
Finally got up but straight back to bed with my breakfast and laptop- only good thing was she left a walking stick for me to try.
Not a good morning…
October 18, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Hi ros hope life is being kind to you and your family I have read your posts and think they are fantastic my name is anne and in fact i know your mum here in lismore .I used to be an rn and I know some health professionals are very ignorant and lack the essential compassion when it comes to care .so its sad the pysio was so hard on you I have also worked in respite and cleaned house of a woman with chronoic fatigue syndrome and she spoke to me on numerous occassions about the lack of insight and compassion some health workers have .
so please hang in there
love your blog its very positive and inspiring
anne
October 20, 2008 at 11:09 am
Hi Anne,
Nice to hear from you and thanks for browsing by… It is so nice to hear a health care professional who is understanding about CFS, and there are many other ‘invisible illnesses’ which receive similar scepticism from doctors and others alike. Sometimes this treatment can be as difficult to deal with as the condition itself. No-one wants to feel like a neurotic idiot for something they know is going on.
Thank you for supporting us, and hopefully your understanding will be a model for those you work with!!
Ros
