Nearly OK

I'm beginning to get back to normal.  Not that I mean I will be jogging down the street and digging up the garden soil anytime real soon,  or walk down the stairs carrying an awkward load.  I still feel the stiffness in my hips and the separation of the clavicle from the scapula will probably always be slightly annoying.

The difference is that I can free-walk in a relatively straight fashion rather than waddling a bit side-to-side now.  I CAN carry things even down the stairs (keeping it light).  I can go up and down the stairs when I feel like it rather than carefully planning 1 or 2 trips a day.

I went outside the other day to fill the 3 birdfeeders (1 of which involves using a 6' stepladder which I was VERY careful on).  I dragged the trash bin to the street even with snow on the driveway (I'm going to let it just melt - no WAY I'm shoveling even 3" of snow).  

I had been just filling a large bowl with kibble for The Mews, but I am getting them more canned foods the past 2 weeks.  We were running short anyway, so I ordered more last week and Deb brought the large box in for me.  I got it opened and sorted out into the pantry yesterday.  Ayla really appreciated it; kibble is not her favorite food.  Marley likes both.  Laz grew up on kibble, so that is fine with him.  But I prefer feeding them canned.

I can get down on hands and knees to clean the litter boxes myself.  I can do laundry normally, but I am transporting it downstairs using a tall (unused) rigid kitchen wastebasket as a support on the stairs (I go down backwards and up forwards.  I watered the basement lettuce etc trays myself and that took some walking back and forth from the laundry tub and the lighted plant rack.

Driving the car is easy.  It is nice to just go out and get what I need when I want it.

I guess my biggest question now is how much and how fast I will finish healing.  It has been going well after the first couple weeks, and I feel better every day in general.  But I COULD hit a wall at some point. It is POSSIBLE my hips will always feel stiff after this.  Or that, when I get more active outdoors, my shoulder will always feel "loose and weak".  

The orthopedic surgeon said I "probably" will never need surgery.  My primary Dr (internist) has the same separation I do (he let me feel the lump on his shoulder) and says it doesn't bother him after several years. But they may not understand quite how physically-active I was around the yard.  Since I live alone and have no family or friends nearby, I push myself pretty hard sometimes by necessity.

So I worry about it.  My life may or may not change permanently.  On the other hand, while I seem to be aging slower than average, I AM aging regardless.  At some point, things I could easily do be before would be becoming more difficult regardless of falling off the ladder.  

I certainly can tell the difference between what I could a few months ago (pre-fall) and what I could do at 50 or 30.  It is part of the natural course of life.  If I need to move a large rock, I just need a bigger lever.  If I need to do something too difficult and awkward after this, I'll need to call a "handyman".  LOL!

If I am seeming to make light of all this, it is because I'm accustomed to do that about personal difficulties.  Trust me, a part of my brain is "yelling and screaming" about being injured and getting older.  But since I am injured and getting older and that can't be avoided, I shout that part down and decide how to get on with things.  

A LOT of people have it much worse that I.  And it could have been much worse.  I remind myself I could have landed on my head and died or landed in such a way to cause some various degree of paralysis.  I wouldn't handle that last very well.  I'm not sure I could deal with that!

But let's be cautiously cheerful.  If I was stuck as I am today, I could deal with it.  And I DO expect to heal more, after all.  A couple months from now, when gardening season REALLY starts, I may not even notice a difference.

We'll see.

Thank you all again for the continued good recovery wishes and advice.  They have made a difference.  It is good to have friends...

Day 10 After The Fall

First, thank you all for the MANY well-wishes.  It is good to have friends.

Second, it has not escaped my awareness that I could very well have died!  I was fortunate to have fallen relatively flat.  A slight change of angle and I could have landed on my head.  SNAP!

Third, it seems odd to realize that I fell 10 days ago.  It seems like both forever and yesterday.  "Forever", because I am used to being active and there sure isn't very much I can do lately.  It is amazing the things you take for granted.  "Yesterday" because undifferentiated boring days all melt together.  When nothing about one day is much different from another, you lose track of them.  

Fourth, I've lived (pretty happily) on my own for 50 years.  It creates a habit of self-relience.  Suddenly not being self-reliant is quite a shock!  So, I make it a point to do what I can.  Its not much but even small things help.

Fifth, I want to assure everyone I do not blame Laz in the least.  I have told him several times "It was NOT your fault".  

Sixth, some of the initial bruises are beginning to fade.  Oddly, some of the original lighter bruises are deeper purple now.  I have never bruised easily, so I don't have much experience with how they heal.

Seventh, I am learning to be very efficient when I move around.  When I'm in one spot, I keep everything together on a counter or table.  Food (for example) gets separated by to-be-microwaved, to-be-stovetop-cooked, and edible raw (fruits, salad material).  And I don't leave a spot without making sure I have my cordless phone, eyeglasses, TV remote, etc with me.  Nothing like "walkering" across the house and realizing my glasses were left in the bedroom to make you sigh DEEPLY!

Again, thanks for all the good wishes, thoughts and prayers, POTP, and useful advice.

Time Passes Slowly

I've never been actually INJURED before, so all this is a new experience.  I realize this is pretty minor as things go, but it is ME, not someone else.  I've never felt so RESTRICTED. 

Like, I don't leave the house often, but now I CAN'T!  I can't even get down to the basement.  I have the cat litter boxes down there and trays of veggies (4 kinds of lettuce, celery, radishes, carrots, and bok choy) to water (Deb is graciously taking care of that for me).

This recovery is going to take a good bit longer than I expected.  I AM getting better, but "better" is not "much better"!  The rib muscles still hurt, but not as much or often.  I have better use of my right arm (the left is fine).  The right shoulder joint doesn't actually hurt, but it is very awkward.

I have a bit of a dilemma with the shoulder.  The hosital gave me a sling to wear (day and night), but I can't wear it AND use the walker.  So, for now, I'm just trying to rest it as much as possible.

*SIGH*