Let's get physical

Today marks the start of my sixth week of PT. I've cycled through most of the technicians so I think it's time to introduce the characters who are going to be part of my world three times per week for the next six months.

First was The Professional. I'm guessing he's in his early thirties. No time wasted on chit-chat and not much in the way of sense of humor -- he was all business. Man, was he tough! I had him for my first two weeks and I was having a hard time dealing with the thought of six more months of that. It was a rough ride. He was very lax about managing his schedule, though; I spent a lot of waiting around for him. That pissed me off.

The third week was the week of the fucked up appointments, the one where I missed two sessions, both with The Professional. I whined about it but secretly I was relieved. That Friday I managed to snag a last minute appointment with Mr. Conscientious so the week wasn't a total loss.

Mr. Conscientious is junior to The Professional, maybe mid/late twenties. Slightly more personable, he always measured my range of motion before and after each session, and explained what he was doing and why. I really appreciated that. He pushed, but not quite as far as The Professional.

The next week I had one appointment with The Caregiver. She was very personable and had that great bedside manner. Not sure how rigorous she'd be on a regular basis, but I can't seem to get another appointment with her so the point is moot. It was nice to have some idle conversation along with my pain that day.

End of that week I saw Mr. Adequate for the first time. He's probably the youngest of the lot, maybe early/mid-twenties, and he acts it, but I happen to speak fluent 'Young Sailor' so we got on just fine. He seemed to hit all the important points during my sessions, but just barely. Let's just say the lad doesn't appear to be itching to give 110%, IYKWIM. I can say that with confidence because it takes one to know one. It was fun to see him all hungover after St. Pat's Day, though.

Since I had to schedule that week's appointments before I'd met him, I ended up with a whole 'nother week of Mr. Adequate. It was an easy week but I'm guessing I didn't make a lot of progress.

Today I saw The Professional again for the first time in three weeks. And yes, it was just as tough as I remembered. Given a choice, one appointment a week with him is about all I can take. The rest of this week I see Mr. Conscientious. I'm thinking that's just about an optimal balance.

So there you go. These young Navy petty officers are going to make me pay for blowing off that sore shoulder I had last fall, bless their little hearts.