What I’ve Learned in Seven Months of Physiotherapy

-no pain no gain. but not too much pain, back off when you need to, especially if you’re in the middle of a flare up.

-I will always take pleasure in the looks on people’s faces when my wrist cracks so loud that they can hear it.

-your physiotherapist is just as frustrated as you are that you’re still not better after 7 months of treatment.

-don’t take the medication that makes you drowsy before a 3 hour night class.

-it is a truly exciting day when you finally get to go to the fun area and do new exercises, even if those exercises are exhausting and boy have I lost strength in my entire arm.

-those times where I can’t feel my fingers? they suck. and they just won’t go away.

-sometimes, even the best doctors in the world can’t find a diagnosis.

-but your pain is still legitimate and don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.

-it’s fun to make up stories to tell drunk boys on new years about how you hurt your wrist, stories that involve bears, falling out of trees, Algonquin Park, and “that thing where you have to carry the canoe yourself, ugh”.

-i used to hate early morning appointments, but now i intentionally schedule them for the beautiful sunrises and morning peace that I get to enjoy on the walk there.

-the polar vortex is a legitimate excuse to cancel physio.

– life tends to take you down the most unexpected paths, and every cloud has a silver lining, some are just harder to spot than others.

-I have a whole new level of respect for anybody living with chronic pain or a physical disability.

-and the most important thing i’ve learned? Don’t go roller skating. Just trust me on this one.