Our patient of the month for December is someone we have been wanting to post about for a while. Rod Barlow has been a patient of Bend + Mend since the very start (and even saw Fiona and Kellie before they were Bend + Menders!). He is always a pleasure to have in the clinic and walks in greeting our reception team by name. We can thank Rod for additions to our clinic such as the water cooler (at his request) and the variety in music played in the Pilates studio…classical lately although touches of ACDC in the past! We always look forward to his visit and gently pushing him on the Pilates equipment while hearing about his latest fishing adventure.
Rod has taken the time to write this for us…Thank you Rod!
“I have been blessed to have had Physiotherapy treatment, on and off, from Fiona and Kellie over a combined period of about 28 years. A long time, indeed. Both could almost treat my back with their eyes closed.
Pilates is a different story as it now plays such an important part in my life. Both Fiona and Kellie moved to Martin Place Physiotherapy (now Bend and Mend) from another practice. Fiona was the first to do so to set up Martin Place P. with Mark. I followed Fiona to this new practice. From early days Fiona started to talk about pilates and encouraging me to undertake it. I did not do anything in this regard as I feared the unknown. However, one day Fiona said to me in a somewhat terse voice “Rod you must do pilates”. Men would associate Fiona’s tone as alike “one who must be obeyed”. I went straight out and joined a local pilates practice. Pilates was exciting. I had used gyms in the past but pilates was more enjoyable and seemed to achieve more in toning my body than when using gyms. Combined with bush walking and bike riding at the time I believed pilates had made me relatively fit for my age.
All good things must come to an end. Some surgeries intervened in my life. The relevant ones were tears to the meniscus of each knee, same month, a year apart. Simple surgeries but each left my quads very weak. After the first surgery I sought physiotherapy/pilates help, initially from Kellie. However, it was not long before a duopoly occurred whereby Fiona and Kellie treated me, each in a separate session, in a two pronged attack to get my knee(s) strengthened. (This treating arrangement still exists today). At some stage during this treatment Fiona came out with another profound statement “Rod you must only do pilates with a physiotherapist”. On this occasion Fiona was preaching to the converted as I had made up my mind not to go back to the pilates practice I had been attending. That practice did not have a physiotherapist and I was concerned at being pushed too hard when I had medical issues.
Well the years have rolled on and I have moved into the very senior category. You know that this has happened when you are standing on a footpath with no intention of crossing the road and a car screeches to a stop and waves at you to cross the road in front of the car.
My general fitness is now in the hands of Fiona and Kellie, as it has been for some years. I am not a very good patient failing to do prescribed exercises or to walk regularly. I am thus very grateful for the treatment they have been providing for me by way of physiotherapy and the punishment they have dished out by way of pilates. I acknowledge that I have gained from the pain. I just pray that neither will retire before I am finished at Bend and Mend.
God Bless, Rod Barlow”
