Absolute Performance Therapy

I have a patient, she is twelve, she is amazing.

She just had surgery for a meniscus tear in her knee. That tear ended her season. She is a catcher. The surgeon told her because of her tear she should no longer keep catching. Did I mention she is only 12.

She had a choice to make. She could be angry, she could sulk, and she could be consumed by all the what ifs about her knee - the things we don't know about how her recovery will go. 

Instead she chose to be positive. She came to her second physical therapy appointment literally with a smile on her knee. (We joked at her first appointment that the scope site looked like eyes and now all we needed was a mouth.) she chose to make the mouth a smile. Need I mention again that she is only 12.

Sometimes I am in awe by the strength of spirit in the people I meet in my job and this is one of those times.

So here's a reminder from a tough as nails 12-year-old that no matter what the world brings you it's OK to smile. The hard part is still going to be hard but it's a heck of a lot easier when you have the right attitude.