No, unfortunately this story is not about one of my dogs. I wish I could blame one of them for some part of it but it is, in the end, just one of those things that happens.
On Friday, August 3, when I was in the middle of a seven-day holiday from work, I decided to grab a book, a can of diet Coke, and spend a little time on the deck before I started supper preparations. In hindsight, I’m wishing I had chosen to start supper early.
As I strode through the kitchen, I was thinking of the book I was looking forward to reading and the sunshine I love to bask in on the deck. I was startled when I suddenly realized I was falling forward, as I hadn’t tripped on anything, nor had I, as often happens to me, turned my ankle. At this point, a month later, I can only think that the inflamed tendon in my lower left leg gave way and pitched me forward.
I fell hard, flat on the kitchen floor, bruising myself in several places, twisting my glasses awry as they smashed into my cheekbone (fortunately only a small cut – no shiner), and smashing my left knee severely. The knee promptly swelled and, by the time my husband heard my calls a few minutes later and helped me to the recliner, it was swollen to the size of a pineapple and already rivaling the glorious colours of the brightest rainbow.
This is after one week, when some of the colour was already beginning to fade.
But, as you can see, the rest of me isn't in terrible shape. I think I'll live!
Now, a month later, most of the bruising has faded but I’m still walking as little as possible, still have a significant swelling on that knee, and have to keep it up on a chair whenever I sit down. It’s made working at the computer awkward, put a holiday planned for late September in jeopardy, and generally caused me all kinds of stress and anxiety.
It’s an odd feeling when life is going along normally and suddenly something unexpected happens to change everything. You realize how much you were taking health and mobility for granted. My mobility hasn’t been the greatest for many years but it’s even worse now and it looks like it may be awhile before it returns to its former level, if ever.
So, I now have lots of opportunities to practice the positive thinking I often urge on my clients and to refocus my gloomy or anxious thinking on appreciating everything I still have to make life good.
