4th Occupational Therapy (27.4.07)

27 April 2007

By making an effort to wake up early, it gives me ample travel time and I am not late for my appointment... Today's treatment started with the usual Q&A. Pei Fen is down with sinus, so she is wearing a mask. Joan is attached with another therapist in another department.

Besides serious stiffness of my left wrist and some aching here and there, most other problems are in better control; or I'm already numbed towards them. For the past week, swelling has reduced. In fact after measurement by Pei Fen, my left palm is now smaller than my right palm...

To improve flexibility of my wrist and fingers, Pei Fen recommends hot wax treatment that almost scares me to death. To ease my anxiety, Pei Fen clarifies that unlike hair removal waxing; this hot wax treatment would not cause any pain or harm my hair. Dipping my left hand into the wax, I'm really terrified as the wax is really very hot. After adapting to the high temperature, I finished coating the first of a total of 8 layers. When done, Pei Fen wrapped my waxed hand with a tracing paper and a towel before returning to my seat. When the 10mins treatment ended, part of the wax is already stucked to the table. Pei Fen removed the wax much like removing a glove with no pain at all and the long hairs are still intact...

Next, Pei Fen wants me to exercise my wrist by turning a wooden reel for 10mins. For this exercise, tension must be felt at respective parts of my hand. As my wrist is still very stiff and, thus it is really tiring after that 10mins...

As Pei Fen is attending to other patients, I get to have a short rest. Pei Fen then helps me to wear a plastic glove and gives me a yellow patty to train soft grip of my left hand. For the next 4mins, I have to squeeze the yellow patty, which resembles play dough and plasticine. Gradually, my fingers start getting tired and the yellow patty starts to look like a pile of shit to me, which almost makes me burst into laughter. Pei Fen seems to notice this and questioned me what is so funny. Upon knowing the reason, she gave me a hilarious reply "shit don't come in this yellow"... For this exercise, I feel some aching, numbness and stiffness at my 4th finger...

After the treatment, I had lunch at TTSH Kopitiam food court, eating cai fan again, before going to City Hall for some light shopping.

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