Category: Barwis Methods

I’m still at ATI.  My knee STILL hurts.  It’s annoying!  Annoying that it STILL hurts! A month and a half later, I still wake up in pain.  It’s not the “knee cracked open” feeling but this new, “hike up my pant leg to take the pressure off” isn’t much different.  I have SO MUCH respect or Nancy Kerrigan!  Once I got to ATI, there was more paperwork to fill out.  Once that was finished, my Mom helped me onto the table and Brad began pulling the tape off of my knee.

As he pulled, he noticed that the tape was breaking down my skin.  The Kinesio tape is my safety net; it cradles my knee and feels comfortable.  But if it’s breaking down my skin…I guess… I explained how and where it still hurt.  Nicole was at the next table working on someone else and asked how my knee was feeling after we talked about the World Series as Brad went to get the protractor thing.  I told her the annoying part of it STILL hurting and Brad measured my knee bend and it was 119 degrees.  It’s getting better but STILL hurts!

Brad worked my quad and IT band hard but it felt good!  He put my leg on the foam cushion and the other Brad hooked me up for stim. and asked me about my sweatshirt again.  It’s a throwback Atlanta Falcons hoodie.  I wear it because the throwback Atlanta emblem is Sean’s school emblem as well. I’m not an Atlanta fan, (LOVE my lions and Matthew Stafford) but rather, I’m a Sean fan!

We talked about fantasy and I wasn’t sure if I was watching the Thursday Night Football game.  It was the Falcons and Buccaneers.  The other Brad came back over when my stim. was done and buttoned my pant leg up and I was done because I was going, “Tapeless” to give my skin time to rest and heal.

Thursday, my Mom asked Brad to transfer me from the table back to my chair when my time was up.  He did and my Mom told him that he was, “Smooth.”  He laughed.  I thought about this, first of all, it’s Brad’s job to help transfer people.  He knows how to get the correct leverage to make the transfer easy or, “Smooth.”   Secondly, Brad is taller than my Mom.  Now, I am five feet tall.  My Mom has always said that she was 5’1.  I bought that.  She was taller than me.  Now, you can reach your own conclusions and reasons for this but now as an adult, I can see the top of my Mom’s head as I stand with her help in transferring. ??

Monday, Brad transferred me onto the table and my Mom reiterated that it was, “Smooth.” As Brad was loosening my leg up so my knee would bend.  He told me that my knee was still swollen and once my knee was bent with my foot pretty close to my butt, he used his fingertips to work some of that swelling away from my knee.  He pressed my leg with two of his fingers from my knee up to mid-quad.  I could feel something move as he used his fingertips.  I ALWAYS love feeling anything in my legs but I especially love this particular feeling because something was moving away from my knee so maybe it will stop hurting or at least hurt less!

After he worked with his fingertips and I rambled about my weekend and Sean’s mouth surgery, I glanced down at my knee and Brad was “knuckling” the outside of my knee.  Michael Rhoades used to do this so long ago.  I smiled at the memory and thought about Michael pressing his knuckles harder than Brad was.  Brad knuckled me more therapeutically.  I continued to feel movement and I really liked that!

Brad finished up and straightened my leg out and put it on the cushion to get me ready for stim.  Alanna hooked me up and iced me.  It felt really good!  I hate that I STILL wake up in pain but my knee feels SO MUCH better when I’m at physical therapy!  When my time was up and Alanna took off the pads and my ice, Brad taped me up again.  I REALLY liked that!  My knee felt cradled again and that makes me feel that my knee is more safe and secure.  It was a good night at therapy (they ALL are) but it felt good with the fingertips, knuckles, AND tape!  And then Brad transferred me back to my chair just as smoothly.

I worked with Kristen on Wednesday.  There was no This is Us because of the election and because I’m not at work right now because of my knee, I was able to vote earlier in the day and therefore; I got my 1st sticker!  See?!:

I tweeted this pic a couple of times and texted it to some friends.  Simple pleasures, man!!! ???

Kristen worked my calf as I told her about my skin breaking down and being “Tapeless” because we didn’t talk about This Is Us.  She told me that my knee was less swollen as she worked.

My knee felt really good as she worked and she grabbed the cushion to ready me for ice and stim.  She told me that we wouldn’t tape again to give my skin a little rest.  I closed my eyes after my ice and stim. we’re set and I got a little nervous not having tape another day but it made sense to give my skin a rest.  I had discussed it a little on Twitter and skin breakdown is common.  My Dad had sensitive skin so maybe it’s hereditary.

Kristen examined my knee as she buttoned my tear-always back up.  (I KNEW there was a reason that I kept them these last 17 years!). My Mom had come back into ATI as Kristen was buttoning me up.  My Mom asked about the little peak in my knee that is at the base of my IT band.  It’s been there since the initial swelling subsided a bit.  Kristen let both of us know that it’s still there  and added that I have a little “Conehead.”

We both laughed and as they both transferred me back to my chair, I wished that the swelling would go away and that my knee would feel better soon.

Luna’s back from her vacation and I was excited to hear about it.  I get on the table and she unsnaps my pants to take a look at my knee.  As she’s unsnapping, I excitedly asked how paradise was (she went to Hawaii).  Before she answered, she told me that we need to talk about my knee because it was STILL swollen.  Luba had been gone for two weeks so for her to comment about it still being swollen was a bit disconcerting.  Well, it STILL hurts so why wouldn’t it STILL be swollen?

As Luba worked on my knee, I told her about my skin breaking down because of the tape and going tapeless after having the “cradling” effect of tape for so long.  After all the knee talk, I got to hear all about snorkeling with manta rays, paddle-boating with sea turtles, surfing lessons, and binge-watching entire seasons of shows.  I asked about the weather in Hawaii but I know I wouldn’t be okay with a constant 84 degrees.

Luba set me up with ice and stim.  As she walked away, I thought about the fact that I would normally be uncomfortable with ice because I am ALWAYS cold now that the weather here is getting colder.  I guess that proves further that my knee STILL hurts.  I don’t like this because I’m having difficulty remembering it NOT hurting.  When my time for stim. was up, Luba snapped my pants back up because I was going tapeless… again.

I worked with Brad on Monday and first and foremost, I talked with him about the heart-breaking defeat of Michigan’s football team by Iowa.  But, this was not the only reason I felt defeated.  I saw Dr. Frush earlier in the day.  I hadn’t been taped since last Monday and my knee hurt.  After seeing Dr. Frush’s, I knew the pain was NOT just because I was tapeless.

At my appointment, Dr. Frush had an intern (Dr. K) and a medical student (regretfully, I don’t remember his name).   They came in first and the intern poked my knee, extended my leg, and asked about physical therapy.  I told him that I would like to go back to work on December 5th.  My knee STILL hurts but I explained to Dr. K that it doesn’t hurt as badly as it originally did.  He told me that he would extend my physical therapy order and that I was moving in the right direction.

He and the medical student left and returned shortly with Dr. Frush.  It was Dr. Frush’s concerned look that concerned me.  He said that my knee was more swollen than it should be and ordered n MRI.  He extended my leg and poked it in all the same places that Dr. K poked.  He mentioned the base of my IT band was swollen and told me to make a return appointment with him to discuss the results of the MRI.  Then he told me that we would talk about, “surgical and non-surgical remedies.”  … WHAT?! ???  When I mentioned my return to work, Dr. Fresh made sure to correct me by saying that my return to work was, “Tentative.”

i told Brad that the thought of me needing surgery defeated me and Brad just listened.  He worked my quad and my right glute by kind of poking the right side of my butt down to my mid-thigh.  He did this for a while and then hooked me up for stim. and placed the ice.  When my time was up, he put my stars back on.  Even though I was re-taped, because my knee still hurt so badly coupled with Dr. Frush’s look of concern, I was defeated.

Wednesday, I was with Kristen.  She pulled my tape off as I reiterated my growing concern for my knee to her.  After telling Brad about my Dr. Frush appointment, I haven’t been able to STOP thinking about it.  I thought about how both Dr. K AND Dr. Frush poked my knee in the EXACT SAME spots.  It hurt in EVERY spot they poked and I told both of them that.  I told her about Dr. Frush’s look of concern at seeing that my knee was more swollen than it should be as she methodically rubbed my knee.

I told her that my MRI was scheduled for November 21st and my return appointment was set for November 28th.  I told her about Dr. Frush letting me know that my return to work was, “tentative.”  After telling her all of this, I felt that I adequately reiterated my concern.  I told her that I felt Dr. Frush knew something.  He knows what he’s talking about.  I really felt that something is wrong with knee.  I was nervous now.  My knee has NOT stopped hurting since I was injured.

As Kristen worked my knee, she said that maybe Dr. Frush was covering his bases just in case.  Then she told me that I am doing everything I can.  I’m going to physical therapy, I’ve made both my MRI appointment and my follow-up appointment with Dr. Frush after the MRI.  She told me that I have a game plan.  Whatever is wrong with my knee, is wrong with my knee.  Until I know for sure, I’m doing everything right.

As I got hooked up to stim. and had my ice on, I thought about how this knee injury is just about breaking me.  I’m not at work teaching kids to read and dealing with worker’s comp. payments is more than taxing, not to mention that I’m NOT at Barwis.  I miss it more than ANYTHING!!!  With all of this going on, I’m STILL in pain!  I wake up in pain and go to sleep in pain.  Oh yeah, AND I have MS!

The timer went off for my stim. and Kristen and I decided that she wouldn’t tape me today so I can get tape tomorrow.  I’d have it for the weekend and I’ll remove it before my MRI on Monday.  I cancelled my ATI appointment for Monday because I will be getting my MRI.  Kristen snapped my pants and her and my Mom helped transfer me back to my chair.  Man, this ALL is A LOT! ???

Luba looked over my knee after she unsnapped my pants once I was on the table.  She furrowed her brow and put on the “thinking face” that I’ve seen at Barwis so many times. She looked at me and kind of asked, “Traction?”  I shrugged a little and told her whatever she thought.  She looked at my knee longer and then nodded and got off the table to get the “seat belts.”

I call them “seat belts” because that is exactly how the look.  Beige seat belts.  I think she had two of them.  Seeing them immediately reminded me of the first time I saw Parker, the first time I went to Whittker Therapy. My first naturopath referred me to him to help with my spasticity.  My legs were SO tonic then that while he worked on one leg, he strapped my other leg down.

Luba fastened one end around my ankle and I assume she attached the other end to something under the table.  Then I felt the seat belt pull and it felt REALLY GOOD on my knee.  I was in traction for a while and Luba rubbed my knee out the rest of my time before she set me up with ice and stim.  Luba told me that when my stim. was up, she would tape me again.  I really liked the thought of that!

I wouldn’t be at physical therapy on Monday because I had my MRI appointment scheduled so I looked forward to having tape on my knee again and would wear it all weekend!  Luba taped my knee up as I laid back feeling relaxed after the traction, rub, ice, and stim.  It wasn’t until I changed at home that I saw that this time, I had two octopi.  They started high up on my quad and cross-crossed over my IT band to my mid calf.  I really admired Luba’s handiwork!  She hoped it would help with the swelling.  I do too!

I didn’t go to ATI because I had my MRI for my knee scheduled.  I was nervous about what it would show because my knee STILL hurts so badly two months after my injury.  I wondered if surgery was going to be necessary and I know first-hand that knee surgery hurts MORE than having a baby!  I have to admit that I cheated and had a C-section but that hurt too, cutting through my guts!… Anyway, we had a little trouble finding the place because we had never been there before.

Once in the office, I filled out some paperwork (rather, my Mom did and I just signed it).  The MRI tech wheeled me out the back doorway of the office through a long hallway with what seemed like a lot of turns.  She told me we were going back outside   We got to a door to the outside so I put the hood of my sweatshirt onto my head.  She pushed me through the door, outside, and onto a platform.  It was a mobile lab.  An older guy with big muscles pressed the button to activate the lift so we could get into the lab.

It was small and the MRI machine was to the left.  The guy with the big muscles carried me to the table and helped me lie down so the MRI tech could ready my knee to get my MRI.  She unsnapped my pants and folded the unsnapped part above my knee and clicked a kind of cage on my knee.  She put headphones on my ears and left to control the machine. As the table moved into that tube, I heard Aaliyah in my ears.  I was immediately in high school again!  I tried to commit to memory all the songs I heard but couldn’t.  I know that it made a little more comfortable trying to see if I remembered all the words to these songs from my high school years, the last time I had problems with this knee.

My MRI was done and that big-muscled man put me back in my chair.  I commented on the music I heard and the tech told me that was the only radio station that came in this morning.  She gave me the disc that had my MRI pictures on it and she wheeled me back o the office.  Once outside and in my car, I realized that I was in my MRI for an hour.  I’m comforted knowing that whatever is wrong with my knee is documented.  Dr. Frush already has access to them because this place was part of the DMC.

I worked with Kristen on the Wednesday after my MRI. I told her all about the music and being  transported back to my high school years. I told her that I was really happy that they were able to keep my  knee taped  while I had the MRI.   The MRI tech gave me a disc but did not tell me about anything that she saw. I told Kristen how nervous I am about surgery. My knee still hurts so very badly! I  can’t really imagine me NOT  needing surgery because this really hurts!

I couldn’t tell Kristen enough about how my nerves were going crazy!   I know that whatever is wrong with my knee is wrong with my knee and there is nothing I can do now but it still made me crazy nervous!  As my return appointment with Dr. Frush  gets closer, I am getting more nervous because my knee is not feeling any better. I’m so concerned!

She worked my knee and my quad as we talked. She told me that I am doing everything I can do to make my knee feel better (physical therapy three times a week and the MRI) so I just have to wait  and see what he says. I know that all of this is true but I can’t seem to get my nerves in check!    I think this is because I know how much my knee hurts and how long it has been hurting but I also know that any kind of knee surgery to make that pain go away will be the most pain I have ever been in in my life  because it was just that! It has been 16 years since I had my knee surgery and I cannot forget how badly that hurt!

Just before Kristen hooked me up to the stim machine and iced me, she asked me if I preferred the tape that Luba I had put on me on Friday opposed to the stars. I told  her  that it really didn’t matter and ANY tape feels so good on my knee!  She ended up putting  a star on the outside of my knee because that is where it really hurts!

I changed my physical therapy appointment from Thursday (which was Thanksgiving) to Friday. I worked with Luba. After conversation about our Thanksgivings she pulled the star off of my knee  that Kristen had put on my knee the last time I was at physical therapy. Before she started working on me, she examined my knee. When my leg is straight out, there is a peak on the  lower outside of my knee cap.   It has been there since I started physical therapy, pretty much since I was injured. It has lessened some but is still there. However, Luba examined it and told  me that it was big.

I’m not sure if it was her or me who dubbed it as being “Mount Kilimanjaro.” We both kind of laughed about it.   She said that she wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro one day and I told her that I will just live vicariously through her  because I could not see myself climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in the near future.  She worked the outside of my knee just above  Mount Kilimanjaro and worked my quad a lot.   It felt really good!  Just before she hooked me up for stim and put ice on my knee, she asked about my  taping preference.   I didn’t have one. I know that my knee feels a whole lot better when there is tape on it but did not know  what difference   It made as to how it was taped.  It all feels good!

Luba asked if I preferred the star that Kristen put on me the last time or if I wanted something different. I just kind of shrugged and shook my head because I had no idea what I wanted.   I told her that my knee feels cradled whenever I have tape on it and it really didn’t matter.

In our conversation earlier that day I had told her about being awakened with pain specifically on the top of my kneecap.   Since my injury, waking up in pain is an everyday occurrence but recently, I was awakened with pain specifically  at the top of my kneecap  where it hurt the most.   I didn’t know how to answer Luna  so she finished hooking me up with a thoughtful look on her face and went  Beck to her  work station.

When she came back when my time was up for ice, she told me that she was going to tape at me differently. She told me she would put a cross on my knee. I was game   And just kind of nodded in agreement.   She put one long strip of tape  vertically on the outside of my knee   And a Nother piece that crossed over the top of my knee. Now, I have always felt cradled whenever I have tape but this  taping, the cross, felt WONDERFUL!!!  I really dug it and hoped that Mount Kilimanjaro would lesson. Maybe  it could be just a hill…