When I was growing up, I really liked playing hide-and-seek a lot.
在我小時候, 我很喜歡玩躲貓貓的游戲。
One time, though, I thought climbing a tree would lead to a great hiding spot,
有一次,我找到了個最佳藏身點-爬到樹上去,
but I fell and broke my arm.
可是我掉了下來,摔斷了胳臂。
I actually started first grade with a big cast all over my torso.
我身上打了一個巨大的石膏固定,就這樣開始了我的小學一年級。
It was taken off six weeks later, but even then, I couldn't extend my elbow,
六周后,石膏拆掉了, 然后我的手肘沒法伸直了。
and I had to do physical therapy to flex and extend it,
我必須通過復健理療 來彎曲和伸直手臂,
100 times per day, seven days per week.
每天100次,每周七天。
I barely did it, because I found it boring and painful,
我基本上沒有做到,因為我覺得又無聊又痛苦。
and as a result, it took me another six weeks to get better.
結果,我又多花了6周時間才好了些。
Many years later, my mom developed frozen shoulder,
許多年以后,我媽媽患上了肩周炎,
which leads to pain and stiffness in the shoulder.
這種病會讓人肩膀疼痛和僵硬。
The person I believed for half of my life to have superpowers
這個我信仰了半輩子的,以為有超能力的人,
suddenly needed help to get dressed or to cut food.
突然間,需要人來幫她穿衣服,幫她切開食物,
She went each week to physical therapy, but just like me,
她每周都去做復健理療,可她跟我一樣,
she barely followed the home treatment,
在家的練習總是不好好做,
and it took her over five months to feel better.
她用了5個多月才好起來。
Both my mom and I required physical therapy,
我媽媽和我都曾經歷復健理療,
a process of doing a suite of repetitive exercises
這一系列不斷重復的練習過程,
in order to regain the range of movement lost due to an accident or injury.
能幫助患者重新恢復受傷部位的活動能力。
At first, a physical therapist works with patients,
剛開始,會由一位復健理療醫師指導幫助患者,
but then it's up to the patients to do their exercises at home.
接下來,就靠患者自己在家繼續練習。
But patients find physical therapy boring, frustrating, confusing
可是患者發覺復健治療枯燥無味,令人沮喪,而且摸不到門道,
and lengthy before seeing results.
見效還很慢。
Sadly, patient noncompliance can be as high as 70 percent.
很遺憾不好好做復健的病人比例高達70%。
This means the majority of patients don't do their exercises
也就是說,大部分的病人都沒有完成復健練習的要求,
and therefore take a lot longer to get better.
因而也就需要更長時間來恢復。
All physical therapists agree that special exercises
所有的復健理療師都同意,
reduce the time needed for recovery,
特殊的鍛煉可以減少康復所需要的時間,
but patients lack the motivation to do them.
可病人就是缺乏動力去做好它。
So together with three friends, all of us software geeks,
我和三個朋友一起,我們都是程序猿,
we asked ourselves,
我們問自己,
wouldn't it be interesting if patients could play their way to recovery?
如果讓病人玩著游戲就康復了,這是不是挺有趣的?