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Harper's Tale - Saturday, October 19, 2002, 2:40 PM
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Healer Lounge
This is a very cozy room where Healers often spend their free time relaxing, talking, and participating in a little recreation. Dotted about the room are small tables and big comfy looking chairs that are great for sitting down and talking in. Also there are tables set up around the room with chairs set at them, to be used for studying, or any other activity that might need the support of a table.
In one wall is the doorway that leads into the Healer Great Hall, and the rest of the Hall. Other doorways are quietly recessed around the room, leading off to healer quarters. One leads to the Apprentice Dorms, while another goes to the hallway that houses the rooms of Journeymen and Masters.
You see Corwin, Drink table, Food table, and Apprentice Dart Board here.
Sudanna is here.
Obvious exits:
Healer Great Hall     Apprentice Dormitory     Journeymen and Masters Hall

Graiham strolls in from the Healer Great Hall.
Caeran nonchalantly strolls in from the Healer Great Hall.

A very large and unwieldly stack of cartons, books, scrolls and hides with notes scribbled on them makes a shuffling appearance in the Lounge, with occasional "Ooof."s and "Argh, don't you /dare/ fall /now/..."s thrown in for good measure. The entire mass shambles over to a free table, and obligingly dumps itself in the middle of it, revealing a Morallen dressed in his best black shirt-and-slacks-and-sandals, and with his hair even more unruly than ever. "Oh, 'lo there, just getting set up," he notes to those arriving after him, affable as ever. "Take a seat, pull up a chair, rest your bones, what have you."

Caeran surveys the room he has just entered. It looks comfy enough-not that he's changed his mind about being a Healer. He selects a chair at random and plops down in it, wondering what on earth the presentation could be on.

Myrlin walks in from the Healer Great Hall.

Graiham's leading a half-dozen folks, Caeran being among them, into the Lounge. "Again, I'll get back to this room after the presentation." He waves them to chairs then snags one for himself, dropping gracelessly near where Caeran's seated. "It ought to be interesting, to say the least," he intones quietly to the young fellow, looking sage and amused at once.

Mireilla slowly walks in from the Healer Great Hall.
Mykharei slips in from the Healer Great Hall.

Sudanna is busy herself, straightening up after the last tour group and directing the replenishing of the food and drink tables. "That's right, more cheese, fruit and sweetrolls.. and yes, Larie, some fresh klah and teas as well as maybe some more juice." She beams as the newer apprentices scurry about. "Momma!" A copperringletted moppet propels herself through the corridor. "You forgot me again!" The green eyes of her father glare out from her young face. "Jade-love, no one could ever forget about you." The healer sighs at her almost ten turn old and shakes her head. "Trust me."

Myrlin glides in, reluctantly, eyeing the other occupants of the room curiously. She slips into a seat in the back behind empty chairs and hopes they won't be filled.

The random assortment of Stuff at the front of the room is growing a little less random under the marshalling of Morallen, the hides and books set to one side as the lanky young man instead pounces on the cartons and removes... props! Interesting ones, too. A series of wooden massage tools, all knobs and blunted spikes are set out like a procession of alien life forms, followed by weights, beanbags, squeeze-balls and other more esoteric objects. He fiddles with them, giving one a loving pat, and sweeping some invisible bit of dust off another, before turning around, eyeing the assembling crowd, and promptly vaulting over the table to face them. "Anyone here got a sore back?" he asks, staring at them in the manner of a herding canine. The wavy forelock falling into his eyes only helps the comparison.

With a barely noticable limp, Mireilla moves quietly to the drink table and captures a glass of juice. Then she sits at the nearest table to watch in wide-eyed wonder as she quietly shakes her head.

"Momma always does, she says." pipes up the everhelpful Jadena. "Says it's from running after us and apprentices all day." Eyes round as she is unceremonously shushed by a descending hand across the mouth.

One girl starts to raise her hand after Morallen's question but, peering toward the table and the instruments, quickly withdraws the beginning of the gesture and very firmly sits on her hands. Come to think of it, her back does seem to be feeling so much better lately...

Caeran eyes the objects up front curiously. They look a bit frightening. Even if he did have a sore back, he's not sure he'd say yes to the question. Then agan, those things do look like they'd be fun to play around with.

Following closely behind Graiham at a liesurely pace, seeming to enjoy the scenery of the Hall -- and consideably the people, Mykharei slides in, smiling a greetings to those she catches the eye of for a moment. She's short and noticeable. End of story. At Morallen's question, Mykharei holds up her hand. "I have back pain," she calls to Morallen. If her hand isn't seen, she /should/ be heard, no?

Myrlin peers over a shoulder and at the small figure from which the loud voice came. Someone who is willing to be experimented on!!? She glances back at the table and odd asortment of ... things and wonders just how humane this is going to be.

Morallen looks a little disappointed at the reluctance from the crowd, and perhaps somewhat intentionally places himself to obscure several of the most scary-looking massage tools on the table. Mireilla's barely noticeable limp is spotted, since he's after all trained to spot such things, and he seems just about ready to abandon his planned opener, and call her out when Mykharei speaks up. He perks up easily and essays a helpful smile, rather than his usual smirk. "Really then? Why don't you come on up to the front here, and I'll show you all a little Physical Therapy, miss..."

Hytiaf walks quietly in from the Healer Great Hall.

Graiham's brows shoot toward his hairline at Mykhaeri's exuberance, but he keeps his opinions otherwise entirely too himself. Most of the people in his tour group look a little daunted: Healers have a reputation, after all, and it usually involves pain. Can ya blame 'em for not jumping on the chance to be used as a demonstration?

Mireilla turns to watch the older girl who was brave enough to speak-up. Whispering she notes, "Now we'll see whether the cure or the pain really hurts."

Milo glides in from the Healer Great Hall.
Milo glides to the Healer Great Hall.
Raven walks in from the Healer Great Hall.
Milo glides in from the Healer Great Hall.

Making her way to Morallen at the front of the demonstration, Mykharei sweetly if not somewhat shyly smiles as a few pairs of eyes are felt on her. "Physical Therapy? That doesn't sound /so/ bad..." At least Mykha hopes it isn't. She forces her hands not to fidget with the hem of her sleeves.

Raven says, "Is Sudanna here?"

Sudanna looks away from her rather precocious child and notices a new person in the area. A small gentle push directs Jade to assiting the others filling the tables and she makes her way to the newest new face. "Hello, I'm Sudanna." This is directed to Raven. "Are you here for the demonstration or do you need healer assistance?"

Raven says, "I need healer assistance. I wish to join the healer hall"
Raven says, "I would also like to see the demonstration."

Morallen moves to turn Mykharei so that the audiance can get a good look at what he's up to. "No, Physical Therapy isn't bad at all," he agrees with a return of the friendly smirk. "In /fact/, it's one of the few areas of Healing where the cure is often quite pleasant. But my notes tell me that I'd better give you all a definitiong of what P.T. is," Here, he waves a sheaf of flimsies as evidence, before continuing. "Physical Therapy is a branch of Healing concerned with how the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of your body are working, and to see that you can use them all to the limits of their normal motion. For example, if you've got a sore back..." A wave to his vict-- er, volunteer. "You'll probably not be able to get as much out of life as if your back /wasn't/ sore. So, miss, can you tell me about how your back is bothering you? Where does it hurt? And has this gone on long...?" Normally he'd notice new arrivals, but the senior apprentice is somewhat nervous.

Raven says, "Hello, may I ask where Sudanna is?"

Mireilla leans forward sipping her juice and adjusting her head as she stares in interest.

Morallen blinks slightly as Raven breaks his concentration, and points out his mentor in her seat. "Sudanna's right over there. You can go sit beside her, if you'd like...?"

Sudanna motions Raven to a seat with a smile and whispers.. "Feel free to stay and enjoy Morallen's demonstration. Then we can talk about the Hall, if you like."

After Morallen's explanation of what, exactly, physical therapy is, a few people loosen up a little. Maybe it's not so bad after all. Still, there's a touch of trepidation as the visitors look 'round a room so full of purple knots.

Raven says, "Sudanna can I join. I have had exp. but only a little bit."

Caeran grins a bit. This could get interesting. In his experience, 'therapy' usually involves pain and embarassment to the person recieving it. And this is in public...

Raven has disconnected.

Mykharei be's a good little volunteer and moves as she's directed. She cheeks are a touch of pink but whether they're pink due to slight embarassment of because she's just so darn cute and petite is hard to determine. Her eyes flick idly about the area she's turned to as she listens to Morallen's little speech. Phew.. so she /won't/ be beaten or bruised by this demonstration! "Hmm? Oh.. Around my shoulders," she explains, lifting her arms to point to the back of her neck, upper shoulder and -straining to reach around- between her shoulder blades. "From leaning over work and slouching..." She blushes slightly. Bad Mykha. Slouching.

Magen walks in from the Apprentice Dormitory.
Milo suddenly disappears ::between::!

Myrlin slides off her seat and silently disappears out the back.

Myrlin walks to the Healer Great Hall.
Caeran goes home.

Morallen's next move is to pull over a chair, and turn it around backwards before offering it to Mykharei. "Straddle the chair and rest your hands and forehead against the back," he directs in an undertone, before half-turning to the watchers again. "What our volunteer is describing is a type of complaint common among Crafters, and other people who spend their days bent over hidework. It's what we call 'chronic' pain, rather than 'acute', because it takes a while to build up, rather than happening all at once, like if you'd gone piling off a runnerbeast." While waiting for Mykha to settle as ordered, he goes on to explain the massage tools with another wave of his hand. "These are tools used for massage, which is one of the most effective treatments for back and neck, and other muscle pain. They may look scary, but we use them quite gently, and often a physical therapist will just use their hands."

You hear a rapping on the door.

Mireilla finishes her juice and leans forward to carefully and silently place her glass on the table taking her attention from the ongoing demonstration just long enough not to embarrass herself.

Hytiaf calls out toward the door to Healer Great Hall, "Come in?"

Collin walks in from the Healer Great Hall.
Collin comes in quietly, standing silently beside the door he closd behind him.

Mykharei smiles a thanks to Morallen for the chair out of habitual manners and sits on the chair as directed -- straddling with her hands and forehead against the back. She eyebrows slightly twist along with her lips as Morallen continues his speech. "My back pain has a /name/?" Hmm... She just assumed the Healers would call it 'back pain in the shoulders' or something simple. Lucky for Mykha, she doesn't look at the tools.

One of the apprentices in the back of the room calls out with a snicker, "EVERYthing at Healer has a name!"

Sudanna swings her eyes ahrply around and makes note of that apprentice. She seems to remeber a certain records room that needs a good suting.

Morallen smirks at the heckler from the back, then picks up the variously-shaped massagers and passes them around to the people in the front row, with a grin and an instruction of "Feel free to play around with these," before returning to center stage, as it were. First rule of presentations: If they're going to fidget, give them something to fidget /with/. He then proceeds to flex his fingers and run them probingly along Mykharei's neck and shoulders, finding the trouble spots. "Massage is something that physical therapists are best known for, but it's actually only a small part of the many techniques we use to make you feel better. We'll use heat and cooling treatments, excercise in the water, also known as 'hydrotherapy', special excercises, weight training, or artificial aids like braces or supports. Anything that will help you get the most mobility out of the body that you've got."

Kethelle walks in from the Healer Great Hall.

Mireilla turns briefly to look as a man enters. Then, returns her attention to the young lady and what the healer is doing to her back and trying to see if she is wincing or grinding her teeth.

Lifting his hand slightly to draw attention toward himself, Graiham halfway-stands and says, "You've mentioned several methods of therapy so far, but you haven't mentioned herbs at all. Does physical therapy use any herbal remedies? Or is that just against the whole point?"

Mykharei's bright eyes widen as she's corrected quite bluntly. "Um... alright?" she sorrily murmurs, looking to Morallen for some comforting words. Hopefully nothing about those tools or anything scary. Hearing Graiham's somewhat familiar voice amongst the strangers, she smiles, feeling not quite so alone and lost in the foreign part of the Hold.

"Just ignore them," suggests Morallen Mykharei-wards with an amused tone. He finds an interesting knot, and falls silent a moment to banish it, before remembering that, oh yes, he's doing a presentation now. Right! Graiham's question is perfectly timed to remind him of this, and he replies that "I was just getting to that. Physical Therapists will often work with Herbalists, or other specialists such as Mindhealers or Geriatrics specialists. But yes, while we do put more of our trust in hands-on treatment for longterm gain, we do make use of things such as muscle-relaxant teas, or salves for softening and loosening scar tissue that Herbalry experts would be better suited to cooking up."

Mindhealers. Graiham puffs a little as he sits back down, looking thoroughly sastified with Morallen's answer. (His whole reason for existence is now justified.) "Thank you," he remembers to tack on.

Sudanna grins at the question and just has to toss in a comment for one of her specialties. "And when herbs are restricted, due to say.. pregnancy, physical therapy such as Morallen is demonstrating is an excellent source of pain easment to newly worked muscles and ligaments." There, she had her say and beams benignly at her mentee.

Eil moistens her lips and reaches for her empty glass to suddenly notice it with a frown adding to herself, "Grandma used to have a healer tea she used when I was sick but not for hurt backs."

Mykharei melts into her own little world with a pleasant smile on her face as the knot is worked out, her world diminishing as the bigs words begin falling from Morallen's lips. "Gerbal-tricks specialists? What? What's that ... 'g' word mean?"

Morallen briefly smiles back at his mentor, pushing his forelock out of his eyes to rejoin the rest of his tousle of sandy brown hair, before returning to his battle with Mykharei's muscles, working slowly from the base of her skull down to her shoulderblades, and then back up again. "Geriatrics is the branch of Healing relating to the ailments and illnesses of the elderly. You see a fair bit of it here in Ista, as people retire here because of the climate." he sums up, before returning to /his/ topic. "On that note, there are several conditions, such as stroke, joint ail, or atrophied muscles, that are often seen mostly in the aged. Physical therapy can be hugely beneficial in keeping our grandparents a little less cranky." he quips, before looking out to the audiance. "Can anyone think of other conditions that might be helped by physical therapy?"

Mireilla watches with interest as the young woman seems to be getting the relief that she needs and she nods her head in adult-like approval (odd, especially from a rag-tag child) as she adds, "A sprained arm?" and flexes hers to demonstrate.

Graiham chips in with the obvious: "Well, I'd think it would be incredibly useful in helping people recovering from serious injuries. Bed-ridden invalids would seem to be those most likely to benefit from extensive physical therapy, especially those who were injured."

Mireilla continues to nod as she whispers, apparently to herself. "Grandma always said her arms was sprained after skinning a wherry."
Mireilla goes home.

Mykharei melts back into her world of comfort, smiling warmly and relaxing in her chair. She snorts as she's momentarily drawn from her relaxation and Pillow World. "Stress?" she mutters with a smirk which looks completely out of place on the young lady with childish features and an aura of innocence and sugar, spice and everything completely polite and nice.

"Yes, yes, and yes," replies Morallen to the crowd, looking pleased. "Stress is a leading cause of back and neck pain, for example. And invalids can indeed benefit from Physical Therapy. In fact, only in the past turn, we used physical therapy to help Harper Master Kurt get back on his feet after a bout with typhoid fever. But physical therapy's initial development was in teh Weyrs, where it's still very common." He administers a few more rubs to Mykharei's neck, before deciding that there are no more knots to be found, and motioning that she can sit normally now. "At the Weyrs, P.T. is used extensively in rehabilitating dragonriders injured in Threadfall. Threadscars can be horrendous things, and often need a lot of work. My project is to show that Physical Therapy has a place in Holds and Crafts as well." he sums up.

Watching the face of Rallen's 'victim' makes Danna wish she had let her daughter volunteer her for the demonstration. Or maybe, she will just insist her mentee practice his techniques before he is promoted? Ohh.. bribery can work.

"Given the limited number of people who take it as a specialty," begins Graiham thoughtfully, "is it as likely that a Hold or Crafthall would be given a posted Physical Therapist? As you mentioned, it seems to be in more demand at a Weyr. Wouldn't it be more likely to post Physical Therapists at the places where they might do the most good?"

Mykharei seems too enamored by her current feeling of comfort to move and instead simply relaxes as she is with a very satisfied look on her face. "That ... was awesome." Enough said. "I've got to find a man who can do /that/ to 'fast to me," she addresses to the crowd with a laugh, adjusting to sit normally, sending a smile Morallen-wards. "Thank you" she adds earnestly.

Morallen smirks at the puddle-of-Mykharei, and steps away to look over in Graiham's direction as he replies to him, looking somewhat serious under the beach bum facade. "As always, we're posted where we can do the most good," he agrees. "But I hope to make physical therapy more well known among the general Healer population. One doesn't have to be a specialist to apply many of the techniques. And hey," she smirk returns. "If word gets out that it's such a good way to attract girls, perhaps it will become more popular as a specialty, eh?" A sudden glance at Sudanna, and a look reading 'Kidding! Kidding!!'. He glances at his notes, and then clears his throat. "That about covers my layman-level presentation on the subject. There'll be a more in-depth presentation specifically for Healers later on, but for now I'm just taking questions, and then you can all get back to your lives."

Kethelle goes home.

Sudanna hides her smirk by loking away and at the faces of the people about her.. always wondering who might decide toi join them all in the craft. "I have a question, actually." Eyes back to front and the presentor. "At what point would you decide that PT is not helping and consider other options?"

July walks in from the Healer Great Hall.

Folding his arms over his chest and nodding, Graiham digests Morallen's answer with due gravity - which, of course, shatters for the moment of levity. "Indeed," he says, eyeing Mykharei briefly before he resumes looking all serious and intent after Sudanna's question.

Morallen rubs his chin throughtfully, and begins to collect the various bits of equipment now scattered amongst the audiance members. "That's difficult to generalize," he says at last, returning the props to their carton, and snagging another chair for himself to sit on, giving the presentation the air of a discussion. "It would really go on a case-by-case basis. Because even within the specialty, there are many methods, and most treatment regimens swap them in and out, combine them, adjust the levels of each until it's fine-tuned for the specific individual. In a lot of cases, PT /is/ the last option tried, so when a point is reached where the improvement has plateaued permanently, and all the solutions have been tried, you have to accept that you've done all you can, and help the patient to make the best of their limitations."

Sudanna says, "So, it's not something a resident could take on themselves, then?" See, she's pushing to get apprentices.. entice with the glories of all the work /and/ rewards.. "But your patient certainly seems to appreciate the study you put into your work."

Jayt saunters comfortably in from the Apprentice Dormitory.

Morallen shakes his head, seeing where his mentor is heading with this, and happy to oblige with supporting her unspoken point. "No, a resident simply wouldn't have the knowledge of anatomy, structure and function to say when enough is enough, and when it isn't. But yes," And here he smirks over at the drowsy Mykharei again. "There's a significant amount of public appreciation in this specialty. Which is nice, for a change." He eyes a stack of hides sitting on the corner of the table, and makes a move to pick them up. "There aren't a /terrible/ number of ranking Healers present, but I'd be happy to defend my case study report, if there are no further questions from the floor.

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