[tkdgirl]

So for those of you who don't know I had knee surgery on Monday and thus am on crutches for the next few weeks.

I'm going to see T on Tuesday after almost a 2 week break. At the end of last session when we were discussing making an appoitment for next time she mentioned that we could switch rooms and have session in one of the rooms on the main floor (currently we use a room on the second floor of the house).

I'm trying to decide what type of impact if any being in a different room will have on session and whether I should just take the time and effort to hop up the stairs to make it up to our normal room. I never thought the room in which session is held would matter to me but somehow it does. There is also the concern about no longer having a quick exit strategy if needed that is lingering in my mind.

Anyone have any thoughts or experiences they want to share?

[ECHOES]

My therapist changed rooms in the suite of offices where she's located. I loved the new room. It was different yet some of the same things were in it, which would be different than how it might be fore you, being in an entirely foreign room.

I enjoyed the new room right away. It was kind of fun seeing my therapist in a different place, maybe fulfilling some kind of if seeing her 'outside' of therapy wish, I don't know.
I was anxious about it beforehand, but tried to approach it with curiosity and just see how it went, something good for me to practice - seeing how it goes before deciding how it 'is'

But you have a choice and it's important to you. I can see how it would be difficult.

Being on the main floor sounds like a possibility of a exit strategy that would be even quicker... Do you think?

[Perna]

My T and I changed rooms and I felt disoriented and didn't "like" the other room (nice conference room, was a weird reaction). I don't know that you can know how another room will affect you or if it will until you try it? But maybe thinking about the "room" is not the best way to go about it. We were never going to change back to our old room, we were next going to change locations, a state a couple hours away from the building we were in then! That could have had something to do with my reaction.

I would not necessarily worry about hopping up to the second floor; I'd worry about hopping down! Coming down stairs could be much harder and scarier and I would not want to have my T worry about that? I'd try the changed room and if it were difficult, I'd remind myself that as soon as my leg healed we could change back.

I had knee surgery last year and was on crutches/could put no weight at all on my left leg for 6 weeks. My T's office is on the second floor of an old house with a dentist office on the ground floor, so no possibility for changing. So... we figured out that my climbing up and down on my butt was the safest for me. The first time, she went to the bottom of the stairs to meet me and took my crutches. I moved slowly up the stairs and it was really embarrassing and I got quite sweaty. Then I got the top and we had no idea how to get me up... She found a chair and I stood up backward and then fell butt first into the chair. She and I turned it around some so that I could get up and then crutch to her office. I was exhausted, sweaty, and humbled... Then we ended a little early so that we'd have time to get my down the stairs before her next client came. In her haste, she forgot to hug me (which hurt me, but I didn't point out as I was really worried about getting to my car and absolutely exhausted). Down was easier on my butt, but just the whole experience was rough and threw me off for the therapy. It got a little better, particularly as my crutching arms got stronger and I got more used to the situation, but arriving into her office into that state and worrying toward the end about getting down the stairs did throw me off. Having gone through this, if my T did have the option for a first floor office I would have taken it! Hope your knee heals soon and that you're getting lots of help! Food preparation and moving the food to the table was the hardest for me.

[unaluna]

Make it easy on your physical self. You don't need to break your neck, or take up session time on the stairs (where else would the time come from? Make everybody else late all day? I know, I am such a communist martyr, if there is such a thing), or put additional unnecessary strain on either knee.

[stopdog]

No exit strategy is concerning, but crutches and causing more damage if you fell might outweigh it. Could you move to sit in a chair near the door in the new room?

[tkdgirl]

Originally Posted by ECHOES

I was anxious about it beforehand, but tried to approach it with curiosity and just see how it went, something good for me to practice - seeing how it goes before deciding how it 'is'
...
Being on the main floor sounds like a possibility of a exit strategy that would be even quicker... Do you think?

This is a good attitude to have, I guess it's like an experient of sorts. Good point about the first floor providing a quicker exit strategy totally forgot about this.

Originally Posted by Perna

I would not necessarily worry about hopping up to the second floor; I'd worry about hopping down! Coming down stairs could be much harder and scarier and I would not want to have my T worry about that? I'd try the changed room and if it were difficult, I'd remind myself that as soon as my leg healed we could change back.

You make a very good point, I didn't really think about the impact on T. I think the short term impact of the new room if any seems way better than having T attempt to try help me.

Originally Posted by eastcoaster

I had knee surgery last year and was on crutches/could put no weight at all on my left leg for 6 weeks. My T's office is on the second floor of an old house witUh a dentist office on the ground floor, so no possibility for changing. So... we figured out that my climbing up and down on my butt was the safest for me. The first time, she went to the bottom of the stairs to meet me and took my crutches. I moved slowly up the stairs and it was really embarrassing and I got quite sweaty. Then I got the top and we had no idea how to get me up... She found a chair and I stood up backward and then fell butt first into the chair. She and I turned it around some so that I could get up and then crutch to her office. I was exhausted, sweaty, and humbled... Then we ended a little early so that we'd have time to get my down the stairs before her next client came. In her haste, she forgot to hug me (which hurt me, but I didn't point out as I was really worried about getting to my car and absolutely exhausted). Down was easier on my butt, but just the whole experience was rough and threw me off for the therapy. It got a little better, particularly as my crutching arms got stronger and I got more used to the situation, but arriving into her office into that state and worrying toward the end about getting down the stairs did throw me off. Having gone through this, if my T did have the option for a first floor office I would have taken it! Hope your knee heals soon and that you're getting lots of help! Food preparation and moving the food to the table was the hardest for me.

Wow 6 weeks that must have been rough - they told me 2-3weeks. The first floor option is seeming like the better alternative. While I have climbed stair on crutches the prospect of T being worried and attempting to help me doesn't seem worth it. I have reluctantly staying with my parents so food prep has been luckily taken care of.

[tkdgirl]

Originally Posted by stopdog

No exit strategy is concerning, but crutches and causing more damage if you fell might outweigh it. Could you move to sit in a chair near the door in the new room?

Thanks this might be a good solution. I guess I'll have to wait to see what the new room is like. I might even insist on sitting on the floor close to the door if the chairs aren't setup right.