Venus

Venus was initially injured in February 2010 working for the U.S. Postal Service. Because the East Coast had been pelted with snow storms, USPS was behind on mail delivery and therefore the team had to work long hours to keep up with the demand.

“We were working from 6:30 in the morning to 8:00 or 9:00 at night, walking around with 32 inches of snow on the ground, and eventually my body just started to shut down,” says Venus. “One day, I was walking up a set of stairs and slipped because my body gave out.”

In April 2010, Venus began her land-based physical therapy treatment with ATI and later transitioned into the work conditioning program to help get her back to work. Unfortunately, she experienced more setbacks after her initial fall, including being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and Celiac’s Disease, causing her to stop therapy in the summer of 2010.

However, Venus didn’t give up.

“Initially, I was depressed because I was so active and I couldn’t be anymore,” says Venus. “But, then I decided to be proactive and started to learn more about my own diagnosis. I went to a nutritionist, did my research, and began to change my eating habits. It made a big difference.”

And, in December 2011, she returned to therapy – this time, in the water. Because of her increased nerve pain, the water stimulated and strengthened her muscles without aggravating them too much.

“I thought I would be lost in the water, but Karen is so motivational,” she says. “I’ve gained a lot of abilities I didn’t know I had.”

After almost nine months of aquatic therapy, Venus is ready for her Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE), which employers use to determine if the employee is ready to get back to work. She may be trading in her bathing suit for her USPS uniform again, but she won’t be trading in her new habits.

As Venus says, “I’ve never felt better.”