"Well, look at you!" were the whippersnapper's words on entering the exam room, new x-rays in hand. "I would have told you to be done with the walker, and I see you are!"
I told him that only was since yesterday, and my knee is in a whole lot of pain from walking. He examined the back of each knee, pronounced the problem to be tissue that was injured in the twisting fall, that needs to resume its normal size.
But, in the meantime, he had a brace...
This brace is wonderful. I did two errands on the way home! I cleaned off my desk. I ate two more cookies. I did not click my heels together.
The break is healing enough for me to see. It begins above those five long pins and goes down to the joint. Four weeks ago I could not see any progress.
For Susan Kane, I carded him. He's a home town boy; grew up in Akron, Ohio. He went to school in Pennsylvania and Ohio. He's "early forties". He spends most weekends hiking the National Park, with his wife and son, who's a couple of years old and more fun now that he can walk.
This time next week I see the shoulder doctor, and we can work out the suspended shoulder details.
All night long, I was not warm enough, in spite of my extra blanket foresight. Obviously, time to get the goose from the back of the closet. I do need Laura to help in extricating it, and she isn't home right now.
We did our mite of cleaning this morning, and she went off on another "emergency". Kay decided she wanted to keep chickens. All my years at that house, chickens never crossed my mind. Tom and I seriously discussed a miniature pig once, but chickens, never. And, Janice nixed the pig.
Kay called me over the week. What do I know about keeping chickens? Actually more than she, it turns out. I know one should investigate the requirements first. But, Kay had a bathroom of peepers and no clue. Laura went to walk Kay one drive way down the road and introduce her to Laurie, who keeps chickens.
Look what I found in the kitchen! Also a batch of chocolate chip, which I don't care for. Those have a little backstory, too, though not as pressing as chicks in the bathroom. Laura's ASL teacher was rummaging in her backpack, and in the process consigned a package of chocolate chips to the trash. "Expired", she explained. Laura left with them, and will treat ASL to cookies on Monday.
Luxuriating this morning in that half-light before sunrise, I made a mental note to take care of the comforter before bedtime came round again. In problem solving mode, I also resolved to spend the day not aggravating my shoulder. I would do that by abandoning the walker for the cane.
There is a problem with that. The cane is held opposite the "bad" limb, and moves with it, and makes contact with the ground together with the bad limb, to support it. However, my "terminal osteoarthritis" shoulder has left the building. It's through holding up my broken leg. So, after breakfast I consigned the walker to the corner and set about learning to walk with the cane in my right hand.
There was an immediate advantage apparent. When the therapist taught me to use the walker, my stride had to be stand on the good leg and move the bad and the walker forward. Move the good leg even with the bad. Repeat. I confess I was striding with the walker as soon as the therapist left. I am terrified to do that with the cane. Falling seems imminent and on top of that, my knee hyperextends.
Son.of.a.gun. So, the good leg goes no further than the bad.
My shoulder hurts only the normal amount, having supported nothing heavier than a cup of coffee and a couple of cookies, all day. The knee is pretty good too; only a couple of snaps today. Now my concern is facing the young doctor's demand tomorrow, "Who released you to walk on a cane!?"
I'm still sorting events. It only recently sunk in how little time has elapsed since the previous accident in Washington, DC. That was March, 2017, a mere eighteen months. I'm not dealing well with the pain this time. The new broken bones don't hurt, but the shoulder that was to be repaired is about unbearable.
An osteo doctor appointment scheduled for today was cancelled, and rescheduled for Monday. If my shoulder doing so much support work with the walker didn't hurt so badly, no matter. But it hurts like hell, which compounds getting to the bathroom in the middle(s) of the night. I intended that young fellow solve all my problems today, and now I'm put off to Monday.
It's good we did so much gardening last weekend; summer has degenerated into cold, driving rain the last several days.
I felt awful; I couldn't go to the bus stop for Laura. By the time the walker and I could have made it to the car, the poor kid took her shoes off and ran. I just sat in the living room and watched it rain.
And I stayed home and wove. There were no cards; half the card players were out of the country. Next week, watch out!
I took off blue and yellow towels and started pumpkin. The blue towels are finished and folded, tonight.
And some more thread came, so there are a lot of good colors on the shelf.
The cat and I are close to blows. I came around the corner and his ears signaled, "I'm not eating leaves.
And whose teeth marks are those, Mr. Cat?
And in conclusion, at the end of the week, my broken bones are not painful. Maybe a little, yesterday night, after a long march on the walker. The corridors of medical buildings are miles long. I walked several.
But, my still unrepaired shoulder, and my hyperextending knee are hard to endure. I hope my young whippersnapper has solutions.
