Not if, but When

That is what my physical therapist said to me after my first fall.

And yesterday I fell. Again.

Jerry and I were in a grocery store and my foot got stuck on a rubber mat being used by a woman handing out samples of macarons. My prosthetic knee did bend so it definitely slowed down my fall, but I managed to pull many muscles in my residual thigh.

As I lay on the floor, waiting to catch my breath and regain my composure, a flurry of staff people appeared, one of whom I was pretty sure was the manager. After I assured him I didn't want to fill out any forms or file a complaint, he and Jerry hoisted me up. I had tried the method my PT had shown me to get up from the floor, but I really was in too much pain to do it myself.

I'm still in pain today, but I can walk, so I'm confident I didn't break anything this time. I see my physical therapist today, so she can help me figure out what is best to do. Walking? Not walking? Icing? Heating? She will have the answers.

So while I am definitely pissed this happened, I am not beating myself up. It happened. It will happen again. This is my new normal. But it won't keep me from doing the things I want to do.

I have no ideas how much longer I will live. None of us know that. So I will continue to do as much as I can, which means taking risks, like traveling, walking on uneven sidewalks, and yes, even going to grocery stores. But I will do my best to avoid those dreaded rubber mats.

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