As I begin my May newsletter, it is a surprising 48 degrees outside. The good news is that it’s sunny with some blue skies! Our staff had our monthly meeting yesterday. Our theme for this year is gratitude. We all had been asked to think of something each of us might be proud of this year, during this Covid epidemic. The responses were quite diverse and very telling of how we all look at things through our own “glasses”.

One younger team member of almost 5 years quickly raised her hand and expressed how blessed we were as a group to stay open to help our patients. She expressed how it has been so stressful for all of us with our families and work, yet we all pulled together and accomplished what may have seemed the impossible. We didn’t close and maybe got stronger as a team.

Another one of our younger members spoke of the remarkable accounts receivables team which lowered our collection days to an unimaginable percentage. We, as a company, have never before accomplished what they were able to during this stressful time.

Our longest tenured member, who was blessed to always have an assistant to schedule and handle all her computer duties, learned to use the computer like never before. If we never had the pandemic, and we weren’t forced to furlough 21 of our team members, these skills would have never been developed. She was so proud, but can’t wait until these newfound skills, which were very challenging and draining, are no longer needed. (As a Medicare-aged person who is still going through this, I can relate.) 😊 She can’t wait until we can hire the staff we need to help us in this area.

As we all listened to each other, a lightness seemed to come over us. The stress we have been feeling seemed to be forgotten, temporarily. During the past year, we have all been doing extra cleaning chores that we had once farmed out, on top of the extra steps needed for Covid protocols. For a brief 60 minutes, we were proud, grateful and excited at how well we have done during this challenging time. One of our team members decided to mention how thankful she was that she is officially pregnant with her third child! We cheered and enjoyed the positivity of the moment.

I mentioned how blessed we are because we are a special group, with a calling to help those in need. I believe we have a long tenured group because our cause is more than just being a physical therapy service. Our cause is for the greater good of all those walking into our clinic for care. No one waits; we answer the phones; and we examine and accompany each patient on their journey to getting stronger every day. I can’t tell you how often members of our staff see patients on Saturday and Sunday because they believe these extra daily treatments will be the reason for saving a patient from back surgery, neck surgery, or total replacement of a joint.

The average employee stays at a company for 4.6 years. The average person ages 24-36 years of age stays for 3.2 years. Five of our 12  team members have been with us more than 23 years. Until recently, we only have 4 that have been with us between 1-5 years. Since Covid, we have lost 5 of our people to physical therapy school, something we are very proud to mention. Since Covid, and the original furloughing, we have hired 6 new people, as of today.

Finishing this newsletter leaves me hopeful for the future. Hearing what our staff was proud of touched me deeply and left me excited for the future. My challenge for everyone reading this is to take a minute or more to allow yourself to think of something you are proud of from this past year.

Enjoy the journey,

The following tips are designed to help people return to fitness after a typical case of COVID-19. Around 10% of people infected with COVID-19 will have problems that linger for months after the infection is gone. These individuals are called long-haulers, and the condition is known as “long-COVID-19” or PASC, which stands for Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. If you have symptoms of long-COVID, contact your primary care doctor before starting an exercise program. Long-COVID could involve other health complications that require labs, tests, or imaging, before being referred to a physical therapist who will design an exercise treatment plan specific to your condition.

According to an article in BMJ, it’s important to return to exercise after at least seven days free of COVID-19 symptoms, and to begin with at least two weeks of minimal exertion.

At this stage in your recovery, your intensity should be very light to light. At a light intensity, you should be able to easily carry on a conversation. If your intensity causes you to gasp for breath, you are pushing yourself too hard. The CDC provides a helpful description of Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion to help you measure your intensity.

Everyone, regardless of age, condition, or ability should try to get the amount of daily physical activity recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services. If you are struggling with lingering side effects from COVID-19 and have trouble doing physical activities, contact your doctor. They can refer you to a physical therapist who can work with you to help you reach your goals.