Doc: "Okay, so other than that, what are your goals? What to you plan on doing by, say, this summer/"
Kat: "Cutting and splitting firewood, finishing up the walk from the garage to the house - just a couple days worth of pick and shovel work, being able to carry my end of the canoe and go fishing, stuf like that."
Doc: "Sounds good, nothing too far out of the ordinary beyond the re-cert to get back to doing patient care in the field! Just remember, you'll always have to be careful when doing any kind of shoveling-type load-carrying lever activities. The L4-L5 disc is going to be doing a lot more than it's ever seen before. Trust, me, I don't want to see you in here with that one ruptured from overexertion!"
Kat: "I'll be careful - and she (evil eye & grin at me) will break out the duct tape if I get too ambitious."
Doc: "Then if there's nothing else?"
Kat: "Aside from pounding the occasional tweeker when they break soft restraints in the back of the rig - will it be okay for me to start working on a heavy bag; short punch-and-kick drills?"
Doc: (blanches, swallows, looks her gamely in the eye, grins) "I'd be happy if you'd give that at least another three months. . . (looks at physical therapists report, flips a page, looks up) You've got a long way to go with core strength and hip stability. . ." (sees Kathryn smothering a laugh)
Kat: "I'll be good."
Me: (snort) "That'll be the day!"
We go on!
Thanks!
