PT : Now for Real

In my last job, City Year, we did something called "PT."  Physical Training.  Whatever that meant.  Once a week we would meet up at the Municipal Building in Greater Philadelphia and pretend to exercise for about an hour.  In the rain, cold, bright-ass sun.  What a crock!  These days, though, PT is real for me.  Physical Therapy. 

I know I don't have the worst injury in the world or anything, but it is still affecting my life and my body on a daily basis.  Apparently, if I don't fix things now, I will have permanent damage.  This shit is painful, so I guess I really need to start putting my all into it.  I just like I don't have drive for anything now.  Not sure why. . . Maybe all these disasters going on in the world?  Maybe the fact that I was so blissful for 3 months and it all left suddenly and shortly after my hospitalization?  Maybe that's just what happens to many people in Japan.  Whatever it is, I really have to focus more on getting my legs right again. . .

My Physical Therapist is great.  His name is Takuya Shimomura.  He knows the most English, so they make him work with me.  He's really nice and tries very hard to hold decent conversations.  It's funny because no one else there knows a word we are saying to each other, unless we go a little Japanese, which happens from time to time. 

Takuya explained to me the other day why he is a physical therapist.  Apparently, about four years ago, Takuya was a really big motorcycle enthusiast.  I'm sure you already know what I'm going to say.  One day, he was going about double the speed limit, when a light suddenly turned red.  He was going so fast that there was no way he could stop in time, and he knew that.  He ran straight into a truck. 

He was luckily near a hospital and was taken there immediately.  He was not breathing, and someone gave him CPR.  That brought him back to breathing.  His hips were dislocated, his leg was absolutely demolished, and he was cut and burned all over his body.  I guess is was all right, though, because he was in a coma for one month before he ever even knew what had happened.  He was OUT while his most excruciating pain was going on.  (Good for him because there are no damn narcotics here to take that kind of pain away!) 

He was a business man before his accident.  As soon as he could walk again, he decided to become a physical therapist.  I feel like that is quite admirable.  I'm pretty glad to be working with him.