Bucking Bronco (Geoffrey)

     Last Tuesday I went to church for our prayer group. It was going to be my first big outing, and I was so excited to go! After we finished praying, we were standing around talking. I turned to speak to someone when my right knee slid off Geoffrey and I started falling. What is the natural reaction to falling? Put out a leg or arm to stop the fall. Down went the foot with the splint - straight down to the floor. My friend, Faye, must have broken my fall because while my foot went to the floor the rest of me stayed somewhat upright. My initial thought was "I don't want to have to go back through this again."

     I got upright on the scooter. At that point I put my head on my arms as I leaned on the handlebars. I looked up to see 5 people or so staring at me. Faye said in an email later that I must have felt like an alien with all the eyes staring at me. I don't think anyone said a word until I asked for my pain medicine.

     Joe called Dr Lillich to see if he wanted to see me. We had forgotten that he was out of the office for a week. Joe left my phone for the doctor on call to call me directly. George, the PA for a hand doctor, called after lunch and was pretty excitable when I told him what had happened. He talked with the nurse of the other foot doctor who called me later. She said that Dr Cox, the other foot doctor, was in surgery all day but she would try to talk to him. Because I didn't hear a pop or was in great pain, Dr Cox thought that I had done no damage.

     Tuesday night as Joe and I talked about what had happened he was able to articulate how I felt. l was terribly embarrassed about falling, especially in such a simple way. 

     The worst part of the fall was the soreness that I have had on the left side - back and hip. I am 5 days out from the fall, and the soreness is finally going away.

     Besides my little setback from the fall, I feel like I am getting stronger every day. I can empty and put away most of the dishes in the dishwasher (except ones that go high in the cabinet). I can take a few clothes to the laundry room. I can transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer. I can take a bath by myself.

     Tomorow is my first post-op visit. I think that I'll be put in a cast then.