I have not written a word in my blog in over a year but something happened yesterday that was so like me, so typical of the way things happen to me, I decided to quickly save the moment. In 1986, I suffered a very bad fall, broke my ankle and ended-up on crutches for six months, explained in another blog entry.
http://magnolias-in-december.blogspot.com/
The crutches were abandoned in our attic until two weeks ago when I thought I had injured my groin muscle. I went to get out of our SUV and my right leg would not move; it could not be moved without excruciating pain. I've been battling almost every arthritis problem in the book for the past three years, possibly triggered by thyroid cancer complications exactly four years ago. I am currently under the care of three orthopedic specialists BUT have not needed crutches!
I thought I had hurt my right hip or pulled a groin muscle trying to work a little bit in our backyard. The pain struck suddenly almost simultaneously with what I'd been doing SO I put two and two together and got three! I'd actually thought my back and knees were feeling better and I couldn't resist at least trying to work in my yard. Dr. Google said groin pain would improve after awhile but mine wasn't, it was getting noticeably worse, so much worse that I dispatched Paul to the attic to find the old crutches. They were perfect except for thirty years worth of neglect. The arm and hand cushions fell off immediately, the rubber leg caps fell off within minutes, but they worked fine and I've been using them around the house.
By Monday of this week, I simply couldn't endure the pain anymore so I made an appointment with my rheumatologist at Highland Schumpert Hospital to see what could be done to relieve groin pain? EVERYWHERE I went I felt like people were staring at me. The valet parking guys stopped what they were doing to look at me. I honestly started feeling a little anxious wondering what was going on? Where I enter the hospital is a hop, skip and jump (for at least a few people) from the parking lot and one quick elevator ride to the orthopedic clinic - a clinic with probably 10-12 different orthopedic specialists.
You can imagine what the waiting room looks like for that many doctors, there are probably a hundred chairs. From the second I exited the elevator, again people started staring at me. They'd stop conversing with someone and stare at me. The receptionist could barely take my registration information for staring at me. Were they all looking at my purse? It is a really cute purse, was everyone thinking what a unique handbag?
I got settled and had a brief wait before being called back to an examination room. The nurse, who I always enjoy visiting with, remarked, "Where on earth did you find those crutches?" I told her they'd been in our attic for thirty years. She said she could not remember ever seeing any wooden crutches. Hummm...
I propped them up against a corner wall and sat down to wait for the doctor. He ALWAYS comes in, hugs me, gently holds my hands a few seconds - yesterday he came in, noticed the crutches and reached for them instead of me, also asking me where on earth I'd found any wooden crutches? I told him. He, too, said he couldn't remember when he'd ever seen any!
Everyone in the x-ray department had the same comments! Knowing my love for all things old, one woman pondered if they were antiques? Someone else asked if he could try them?
This was about where the fun ended! It turned out I hadn't injured a groin muscle, my hip was about a hundred times worse than I'd expected, I now have no cartilage around that joint either. I'm down to bone-on-bone in both knees and my right hip, along with needing spinal fusion surgery - all of which scare me because of what happened (the death) of my father, a young cousin and knowing I have a genetic predisposition for blood clotting problems. Even before yesterday's news, I've been told the horrible condition of my back will make knee replacement an even bigger challenge and the condition of my knees isn't good at all for the rehab necessary with spinal surgery. It's an orthopedic Mexican standoff!
After an hour or so yesterday, I got the mother of all steroid shots in my hip, a Prednisone Taper, more pain pills and the doctor suggested I get myself a walker. I really haven't wanted to do that but he said I should try it and really should have access to one at home in case of an emergency. He told me there was a department in the hospital where I could check it out. I didn't realize this department was half a mile from his office!! Slight exaggeration but it was some distance.
Highland Schumpert Hospital is designed like a mall. It really is a pretty building, most of it is new, the center is open from the first to the second floors with doctors' offices and waiting rooms around the open area on the second floor. I had to limp through no less than six to eight doctors' office waiting rooms to find the mobility challenged equipment department. I almost felt like a hush fell from those waiting when I walked by. People pointed. I was the elephant in every room!
When I opened the door to the department selling walkers, the only employee put her pencil down to step out behind the counter and examine my crutches. She was maybe 20-years old...she had never seen wooden crutches. She called someone on her phone to come quickly to see my crutches. This woman made my day and sent me home with a whole new slant on all this. She had a fit over the crutches, even telling me she'd buy them if I ever wanted to sell them. She suggested I paint them, maybe add some bling!!
All I can think about now is whether or not one should paint an "antique"??? What if a hundred years from now someone says who on earth would be so dumb as to put paint on wooden crutches??? Seriously though, I'm not trying to decide whether or not to paint them but what color...and how much bling???
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