The Miracle of Physical Therapy

Neal A Maxwell, a former apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recounted a time when during World War II his unit came under heavy gunfire, but for some reason, after what he calls "a selfish prayer" the shelling stopped and his life was preserved. About the experience of God intervening on his behalf he said, "I had been blessed, and I knew that God knew that I knew’ (“Becoming a Disciple,” Ensign, June 1996, 19).

While I am not on Okinawa I wanted to share an experience where I clearly knew and I knew that God knew I knew he had intervened in my family's behalf.

The weeks following my son's emergency surgery in which seven screws were inserted inserted along with a metal plate, were arduous. You can read more about that experience here.

A few weeks following we were meeting with the orthopedic surgeon who performed the surgery and discussing rehabilitation so that the kid could walk again. The doctor noting his age, was confident that with how active my son was that he might not even need physical therapy but would do fine just experimenting on his own. We left the doctors office without an order for PT. Knowing how cautious my son was, I had serious doubts that he would adventure on his own. This fear only became more heightened in me as I had to fight him to even let me wipe off his leg with a washcloth and remove surgical tape that was hanging off of his skin.

My son did try moving on his own but it was mostly sliding on his bum on the floor. My physical therapist neighbor came over one day to help him try to see if he would try crutches and showed me some exercises I could do with him...but I think he was turned off crutches the minute he came out of the OR when the hospital physical therapist announced they would do crutch training. He did and still has renounced using crutches at all to aid in his mobility. 

It was only a week or so later that I called the orthopedic office back to get the physical therapy order from the nurse. She assured me she would send it over and they would contact me.

A week later I hadn't heard anything and a 2nd call was made. Again the same result. This went on for another two weeks. 

Finally we were at our 6 week post op with no physical therapy appointment in sight. At this point I asked for the order myself so that I could call.

A few days later I was complaining to my coworker about not being able to get in touch with physical therapy that was in network and she recommended her physical therapist. Yes it was out of network, yes it would mean I would have to pay out of pocket, but I needed this appointment two weeks ago...so I figured that I could take him to one or two while we found something in network. I called this office and had an appointment that same week!

Meanwhile I asked my son's Dad if he could try tracking down a pediatric physical therapist because he works for IHC. 

My son's 1st physical therapy appointment went really well. I gulped when I heard that I would be liable to pay up to $4000 out of pocket until the insurance would begin covering it because it was out of network but I moved forward trusting that things had led me to that point so things would work out.

The following week my son's Dad finally had the number of the physical therapist that was covered by insurance and had the order faxed over. I called immediately to make an appointment...and they didn't have the order!

Two days later they finally had the order and I was able to schedule an appointment for the following week. Because of that I wondered if I should go ahead and cancel the followup appointment at the out of network PT's office. I mean I was dropping a couple of hundred dollars every time I visited! (And I had just written a check for over $2000 to cover the out of pocket expenses for his surgery!) Seriously medical care in the United States people! (But that can be another post).

The more I thought about canceling the pricey physical therapy appointment because I had the insurance covered physical therapy appointment already scheduled,  the more I  didn't feel good about it. So I left it. I figured I would just keep the appointment and shell out the money and then my son would start at the new insurance covers this clinic the following week.

Well not even two hours passed and the in network clinic called me back to tell me they were closing all of their physical therapy clinics in the valley so they could be a overflow for Covid-19 patients but that my son was first on their waiting list if and when they reopened.

As of today there is still no word of these clinics opening back up and my son is 3 months post-OP.

So I kept the expensive physical therapist...which called me only a few days later to say they were reducing the client's their office was seeing because of the virus but my son's case was urgent enough that he was one of the select few they would continue seeing.

The miracles kept coming and based off of a suggestion from my sister, we asked that our insurance cover the physical therapy anyway because we didn't have another option. It turns out that all IHC physical therapy offices at least in the valley were shuttered (and still are) and this private office remains one of the few physical therapy offices in the valley that are still in operation.

So long story short, after six physical therapy appointments (that his insurance now.pays for) my son went from only being comfortable in his wheelchair to learning how to walk again! 

And I am happy to report, officially graduated from physical therapy on Friday and is considered fully rehabilitated.

If all this doesn't convince you that miracles exist...I don't know what will.

Love,

Maddie