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| My View |
After four years of avoiding a serious injury, my ankle twisted and swelled up to the size of a tennis ball. I've spent the past two days hobbling from doctor to x-ray technician to specialist. Lucky for me, the injury, which happened while I was gardening in the backyard, wasn't as bad as the one four years ago that sent me careening down three flights of stairs and left me with a broken leg, surgery, and several months of bed rest. This time around, the sight of the crutches makes me feel faint. After two days of crutching around, I feel exhausted and all of four years older than I was the last time injury struck.
Sometimes, I feel cursed. How can one person be so clumsy? And it's not just me. My grandmother was famous for falling. She always had an ace bandage handy. If anyone knows how to lift this fallen ankle curse, please help.
The podiatrist is calling this injury a level one sprain, meaning I'll live and I should be up and running sooner than later, perhaps by the end of the month. RICE, no chopsticks is the recommended treatment: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This time around, I also knew to refuse big pharma's pain pills. Those things kept me in a fog that had my jaw tingling and me blathering something about my bed traveling at light speed through outer space along with the Starship Enterprise. I had to throw out the prescription for the pain pills. I have a big tolerance for pain and will do just fine with natural remedies and plain generic aspirin.
I'm also lucky I was able to see a doctor. I had to be persistent and explain over the phone that I could not walk and that I had a giant ankle and a previous injury and surgery. Then doctor number one gave me a referral for x-rays and a visit with a specialist. The visit with the specialist was almost postponed by one week, but I called and asked to be put on a waiting list for the next day. After the podiatrist poked at my swollen ankle, he said I was lucky no bones were fractured.
Although some of my late summer plans will have to go on hold, I'm able to sit with my foot propped up and write. I can even play my guitar if I hobble over to it. Things could be worse. I guess I'm not cursed after all.
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| Parked on the couch. |
1 comment:
Melinda, cannabis is a great alternative medicine, I live in Colo where its legal. I use it for my arthritis in knees and ankles. I make a medicinal salve. I'm very clumsy and fall and twist my ankles. I wear high ankle boots for support and that helps me from twisting ankles.
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