The Big Fall, part 4

It has been just two weeks since my riding accident with Scout and yet it feels like an eternity. I went to my doctor appointment last Thursday and I think that if it weren't my own injury, I would have passed out when they cut off the bandages and I saw the devastation.  My whole leg is various colors of yellow to black and the outside of my ankle is still swollen and blackish. I must have a sprain as well as the break. The backside of my leg hurts a lot too with swelling and discoloration. The doctor did in fact cut me more than he originally said he would. I have a 3 - 4 inch gash on the inside of my leg with 10 staples holding it together. The nurse gave me some alcohol swabs to clean up my leg but the color didn't come off much although I was able to get a lot of the dirt off.

The doctor said it looked good, (Really?) and that I should come back in three weeks to get the staples out. Then the nurse resplinted and wrapped it up and I was on my way...

I have been off of my leg for two weeks now and another three to go, at least. When I had my surgery last week, I got a handicapped license for my car and, at this appointment, the doctor gave me a prescrption for a wheelchair.
 



My sister recommended me getting a wheelchair and,when I asked the doctor, he said, good idea. He wants me to go to work because as he said, he didn't want me to sit and watch the paint dry. I was issued a laptop for home so I can work out of the house but there are things I must do at the office as well, so I am driving in most days anyway, since, fortunately, it's my left leg.
 
However, the laptop is for work so I haven't had much internet access for personal use lately. Twice now, at work, using the crutches, I have gone off balance and fallen twice, once backwards when the key to the door I was pulling open popped out and once into the stall door as I tried to go to the bathroom. The wheelchair is great, however actually getting to use it is a huge problem. I have to balance on one leg as I put it in my Subaru hatchback and take it out again. This scares the heck out of me, that I will fall. And then, I need to put on the elevated leg lifts which weigh about ten pounds each.
 

I have finally figured out how to take them off before trying to lift the chair. It's hard to roll on any ground that has an incline or not level. Saturday, I actually went to Penney's with my son, who rolled me around. My sister advised me to watch out for the hidden dangers when using a wheelchair and sure enough, I gashed my arm on a piece of clothes rack that stuck out, unseen, as I rolled past.

My sister broke her ankle falling down stairs just a couple of months ago and every time I spoke with her she was over whelmed and teary-eyed depressed. I really felt bad for her then but now I really understand how she felt. I've been going through depression too. One night, after going to work on crutches, I stayed working until almost 9:30 at night. Partly because I had lots of work to do, partly because I wanted to be alone and feel sorry for myself. My thirtieth anniversary would have been Monday. We got married the same year as Charles and Di and it made me sad to watch the royal wedding of their son a few days ago even though I was happy for them too.

The really crazy thing is that besides me and my sister breaking our ankles, her husband took a serious fall at work in December and has been in major recovery since. He fell from a platform and broke his wrist, shoulder, leg, and heel. He has been bed bound since so when she fell down the stairs, they had to call emergency because he couldn't even help her. They go visit the same doctor, both in wheelchairs. It's actually kind of funny in a very sick way. And she has a lady at work that broke her ankle earlier this year and another friend who also broke her ankle. It's like an outbreak of broken leg bones! However, on a serious note, my sister is recovering and I will, but it's unknown to what extent her husband will recover. He still cannot use his right hand or left leg and needs more surgeries. Please send prayers his way.

My sister tells me how hard it is to be completely dependent on others. She says it's like people think your brain is affected along with your body. No matter what you ask for they change it up on you. Just the other day I asked for a peanut butter and strawberry jam on tortilla. I got a cinnamon toast, butter (not peanut butter) and peach jelly sandwich, just not the same. I don't even like butter on my toast or bread.

Today, I was intending to make a trip to visit my horses for the first time and it is snowing and cold!

All day! For the last couple of weeks, it has been very windy and cloudy off and on. Many days, my phone weather app describes the local weather as dreary. Has anyone else ever seen that used to describe their weather? Not even London, Moscow, or Portland get dreary weather.

I know this post is kind of random but that's the way I feel, scattered thoughts.