8.16.16 Something New

Nick didn’t loosen my legs up in my chair as is the routine but instead helped me on to the table immediately.  He told me that we were going to do “something new” today.  I asked him if it was going to hurt and he simply replied, “yes.”  That reply was a bit concerning but I’ve always been okay with that.  I’ve known for a long time that, as in Never Ending Story, “it’s got to hurt if it’s to heal.”So I was game.  Nick helped me on to the table and had me lay on my stomach and he pushed my pant legs up to my knees.  He pushed his fingers into the middle of my calf and this kind of hurt but t wasn’t intolerable.  my knee bent and my heel went up in the air almost immediately.

Given the fact that my legs bent so easily and they began feeling loose, I was willing to handle the little bit of discomfort I felt.  I thought back to braking my ankle when I was student teaching. One student asked as I explained to the class how I broke it if I cried.  I guess he asked it in front of the whole class to put me on the spot.  I couldn’t feel my legs very much back then so I quickly and  honestly answered, “No.”  I guess that made me look tough given the surprised look on his face.

Nick asked if it hurt and I answered, “So good!”  Next he brought over a stick with handles on either end.  I’ve since found out from Jesse  that it is a “roller stick” used to break up fascia.  Well, Nick rolled it on the backs of both calves, had me roll over and rolled it on the fronts and sides of both of my thighs.  He constantly asked if it hurt and I constantly told him, “So good!”  It DID feel really good!  My legs felt warm and they loosened up very nicely.

When Nick and my Mom helped me into the passenger’s seat of my car, my Mom was able to easily get both of my feet in the car.  My legs felt relaxed and warm.  It was nice.  Then I got home…  My Mom touched  my knee to get my legs out of the car and it hurt!  I was able to fall asleep without anyone touching my legs and they felt warm and loose.  It wasn’t until the next morning that I felt like the girl with “birthmarks all over her body” from the “Crash Test Dummies” song, “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” from back when I was in grade school.  I felt like I had round bruises all over my legs like the purple circles she had all over her body in the video.

I texted Jesse about this fact the next morning and he told me the purpose of this what I call “rolling-pin” technique.  He asked me if it hurt and I told him, “Oh yeah! But SO good!” He told me that it was blood moving to the surface and that was a good thing.  I thought so too!  I didn’t have as many bruises as I thought I would but they were there!  Battle Scars!  I’ll take it!  It’s a battle worth fighting for sure!