Bye Rosalien

Rosalien (my ex-Physiotherapist)

Today I said goodbye to Rosalien. Perhaps we’ll still meet eachother at Hydrotherapy but I can’t be sure. Rosalien was my favorite therapist in the RCA. She was the one that went “Nordic Walking” with me when I couldn’t lift my right arm, went cycling with me when I couldn’t cycle (I forgot to put my right foot down) and played badminton with me to make me run and jump without me noticing the pain.

She applied all kinds of techniques (e.g. massage) if my right arm, shoulder, hip, calf, leg and foot were hurting. But above all she considered me “her” patient. That felt so good, that personal touch. Thanks Rosalien for your listening to all my boring problems, for helping with the ‘politics’ in the RCA and thanks for being my favorite physiotherapist!

Badminton

Several times I played badminton with my physiotherapist Rosalien (see picture). In the beginning I couldn’t play at all with my right arm but my level improved over time. Remember my frozen shoulder? Playing badminton has contributed to the “defreezing” of it. We started with just playing without a net to let me get used to the moves.

Then Rosalien put a net in between us. I never knew that playing badminton would be so much fun! Rosalien has played badminton before (many years ago) but I haven’t (just recreational during school holidays). My arm has absolutely not the strength it used to have but as long as I make progress (fast walking turned into short runs, hitting the shuttle gently has turned into playing as hard as I can) I will continue to play.

Hydrotherapy

Already many weeks I’m asked by my physiotherapist whether I’m interested in hydrotherapy and, if so, when we can start with it. I, in turn, ask my neurosurgeons, plastic surgeon and oncologists for a positive answer. That answer came last week from my neurosurgeon, dr. de Witt Hamer, and was positive.

Dr. Philip de Witt Hamer and me

And so it happened that last Monday the 12th of January 2009 I found an appointment for my first hydrotherapy with Rosalien, my physiotherapist, in my schedule for 8:30. My first impression was that the air in the pool building was so hot and humid. Regulations require that I am to be accompanied by 2 persons (they were actually with three therapists plus my wife) in case I get an insult. On top of that the pool has a floor that can be raised and lowered.

Rosalien (hydro-/fysiotherapist) and me

There is pleasantly warm water in it. Nice! What I didn’t expect was that I felt so unstable in the water when Rosalien made me float in the pool and then walk around. I had to constantly compensate for the lack of power in my right leg. Afterwards I was more tired than I thought!