The physical therapist came after the drain was out to give me exercises that will increase the mobility of my right arm. If you’ve ever had a frozen shoulder, you have an idea of how limited my arm has become and how important it is to work on that.
There are nine exercises, each to be done at least ten times twice a day. They look easy, but they’re not. For instance, I’m to stand facing a wall and walk my right hand up it as high as possible; then hold it there.
I face the wall where the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, former Union general and then U.S. President, hangs. His eyes are almost parallel to mine, which means if I were really good at this exercise, my arm would be way above the top of his head. Currently, it only reaches Grant’s shoulder, and I imagine he’s thinking I’m a slacker.
According to the physical therapist, the most important exercise to be ready for radiation is Number Six. Lying on your back, clasp your hands behind your head with elbows pointing to the ceiling. Without arching your back or moving other body parts, now pull your elbows down to the bed or floor. It’s difficult, so I decided not to ask Grant his opinion again.
I am not a slacker; it’s just that four weeks of inactivity have taken a toll.
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