Accidents Happen

Not long ago I was thinking life was getting into that “uneventful” mode – you know, staying home too often, generally comfortable. Is life supposed to be comfortable all the time?

Well, our 4th of July holiday made me realize that’s how I like it – comfortable and uneventful. I spent the bulk of the day in Urgent Care, not because of any firecracker mishap you might expect, but because I fell and broke my ankle. As my husband likes to describe it, I fell from a one-inch ledge. Actually I was chasing our dog and my ankle rolled from the edge of a driveway on to the grass and down I went – snapping the fibula. Fortunately it’s not a weight-bearing bone, so I’m expected to heal relatively quickly. The folks at the orthopedic office tell me if I can tolerate the pain I can start testing usage as soon as I like. Well, it’s not quite 48 hours since the accident and this morning when I tried standing I broke out in a sweat and felt like throwing up, so I guess it’s a bit soon. However, I still expect a full recovery sooner rather than later!

Of course by “full” recovery at my age I expect to turn into a weather vane and experience some ankle discomfort with each change in air pressure, but hey, at least I’ll know how to dress for the weather.

This is the first time I’m grateful to have a wheelchair in the family. We have one for our Fragile X son, because part of his diagnosis is a connective tissue disorder which makes him tire easily. We take the chair along with us if we’re expected to do a lot of shopping or to places like the zoo or anywhere extended walking is required. So now I’m wheeling around the house and he’s watching me wondering why I’m having all the fun.

Maneuvering the thing did take some getting used to, though – I quickly realized I’m better at pushing than driving it. My husband explained it’s like directing a bulldozer. Well, that was about as clear as mud – I somehow missed the fascination with running land equipment. But when he told me how the wheels of a bulldozer move, I was able to figure it out. Just out of curiosity, did you know there are an astounding number of bulldozer videos on YouTube that have thousands of views? I’d love to know how many of those viewers are girls.

Just after the accident, one of the first things I thought was how glad I was for the timing. I’ve just turned in my manuscript, so I won’t have that added pressure. And my husband is home to help out, although reinforcements are on the way in the form of my sister. Yippee! My kitchen will once again be put in order. Let’s just say my husband is kind of the mad-scientist type who is more concerned about the bigger picture – i.e. the kitchen is where food is found — but not the details — i.e. dishes in the sink or on the counter are minutia with which one need not be concerned.

So between the accident and the holiday, I wasn’t able to get to the computer as often as I’d like, thus my late posting. Mainly I’m sitting on the couch with my foot elevated while catching up on some reading. I’m amazed how tired I’ve been, just sitting here, but the literature from the dr.’s office said that’s normal. I guess a jolt to the system takes it out of us – so if this ever happens to you, be prepared!

I wanted to say in closing that although accidents are never, ever fun, an upside of it all is the many notes and prayers and well wishes I’ve received via email and on Facebook. God has a way of easing things, and it’s almost always through the people He puts in our lives. So thank you!