Grandma, a 50-year-old Sonoran Desert Tortoise, had surgery to remove a baseball-sized bladder stone in 2009. She started blogging about her recovery from surgery. Ongoing health challenges have kept her blogging to offer information and hope for others. Grandma never gives up!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Let's Get Physical (Therapy)
To get my hind legs moving again after surgery and hauling around that bladder stone for so long, I had physical therapy twice a day for 10 days. See, I told you I've been very busy! I thought this was pretty cool for about a week but as I started feeling better, I decided to assert my independence. Before that, my hind legs were pretty limp and I could only lurch around my tub. But once I got some of my strength back, look out! I can pull my legs in tight and then push them out hard to break free. And when I've had enough, that's IT! But now I get to do more fun things for exercise, like doing laps in the kitchen. Of course I always remember to "set my core" and "move as a unit."
Here's a short video of the Range of Motion therapy on my hind legs. I do have to wonder: Does this make my butt look big?
It's a very good thing that PT helped me so much because I don't know how Dr. QiLing Lu would have given me acupuncture instead. I'm not sure I would sit still for all those baby fine needles but I would like her heat lamp and Chinese music. Since I'm better now, I guess we'll just never know.
Here's another video of PT, but from the tortoise-eye view. You can see why it can get boring so that's why I started listening to the tv so I could be a more patient patient.
I'm a Sonoran Desert Tortoise who hatched in 1965. I've been getting weak and wobbly so we finally realized a trip to the exotic vet was in order. Anyway it turns out I've been hauling around a baseball-sized bladder stone! No wonder my shell was dragging! The x-ray was very shocking and no one was thrilled about it. But I had surgery on 9/30/2009 and now I'm recovering indoors until next summer. It's funny, people don't realize tortoises have personalities and know their master's voice. I'm grateful to mine because they are doing their best for me. They say I'm the sweet one. Yes, my yard buddies are a wild bunch sometimes, while I always mind my manners.
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