So I’m sitting here today trying to decide if I’ll be able to make it into the doctor’s office this afternoon. My current physical limitations leave that in doubt – as they do with any plans I might make. Why am I going to the doctor? Because of a rather bad fall I had several weeks back. The back deck was slick with black ice – so my feet shot out from under me and down I went. Now – that might not have been so bad under normal circumstances – but my multiplicity of injuries renders any slip or fall suspect. I was really frightened. I went down hard. So hard, my glasses flew when my head hit, leaving me not only out of breath but blind as well. And it was a very cold and frosty 5 am. No one else up and about. I’d let one of the dogs out to the bathroom, and she’d refused to come in. I was going out to ‘encourage’ her compliance – and bam! Down I went.
No one heard my cries for help. I lay there in the frozen cold, screaming – and no one heard. After about 20 or so minutes, I realized no one was coming. If there was any rescue to be had – I had to do it myself. So I dragged myself across the deck, into the house. I had oodles of adrenaline acting as a crutch. It’s the only way I could have managed it, the amount of pain I was in. Frankly – I feared I had broken something. The last time I had a bad fall, I went through a construction hole in our kitchen floor, shattering some bones – it was a terrible mess. I feared something similar may have occurred this time as well. I made it to my bed OK, (my husband finally hearing my yells once I got inside). Nothing seemed broken. I hurt like a son-of-a-bitch (and was bruised up like crazy) but that was all (or so I thought).
I was wrong. Or maybe not. Since that accident, two additional things happened that may have added to the injuries. One came from my dog Ginger. Now Ginger has a very bad habit of powering through any one or any thing she deems in her way. She’s part Rhodesian Ridgeback – and they always have to be first. It’s a breed peculiarity. She’s actually knocked me over several times (she’s a very powerful dog). Why do we still have her? It’s complicated – but for one, no one else would put up with her (she’s rather ungovernable and a passel of neuroses). For another, she’s certainly earned her keep. Last summer she scared away some house invaders. We’re rather out in the boonies. Home invasions and burglaries are not all that uncommon. So it’s important to keep an alert dog. Our older hound is 15, has heart disease, and isn’t spry enough for that kind of thing. Ginger is very aware of her surroundings – and she’s protective. God help anyone trying to rob the place. They’d never make it past her. That gives her a huge go by. And I’ve never given up on a critter. Somewhere, somehow there’s a key to understanding that dog (paging Cesar Millan!).
So she stays. But…..there’s that ungovernable part. Within days of my fall – Ginger slammed into me, re-injuring the leg that took the brunt of my fall. Adding insult (and additional injury), I followed that up by dropping a very heavy casserole dish right on my foot. End result? My leg’s a mess, and the pain is tremendous. Why might I not make today’s appointment particularly? Well - we had a tornado come through last night (no damage to our house – but some of our neighbors didn’t fare quite as well) – and lil’ Miss Ginger, in an effort to find someplace safe, knocked me over once again. Bam! Now I’m in too much pain to even make it down the stairs and out to the car. If that doesn’t improve (and I’m thinking it won’t) – I’ll have to postpone the appointment till next week (damn it!). Not an ideal situation.
*sigh* I think I’ll just go back to bed and read.
Recent Comments