I had an unsettling interaction with a provider this week. I was seeking some physical therapy relief for my Woody Fibrosis Neck (caused by radiation), chest scar adhesions, and restricted range of motion on the right side.
Pretty basic stuff that my usual PT handles well, but this provider was recommended to me because she does Myofascial Release, a relatively new massage/PT technique. The hope was it might do wonders for the chest adhesions and fibrosis especially. What was not new, to me, were the red flags of a provider who doesn’t really get it.
There was no robe to change in to, and the therapy space was….not ideal. Strike one.
Then she did the dreaded head tilt, heart clutch and “I feel sooooooo baaaaaaaad for you”. Strike two.
Then, as we reviewed my medical history:
Tsk tsking when I said the insomnia is caused by the steroids.
Saying “Well….” when I said the anti-estrogen therapy was causing joint and muscle pain.
And on and on, finally culminating in a devastating dismissal of my very real experience when she scolded me. “You have to get out of your Thinking Brain and do the work to get into your Feeling Brain”.
Lady, what I have to do is get out of here.