Fall From Normal

It's been a long time since I relived the fall. I used to go through it in my mind at least once per day. I was on a simple stepladder, on the third or fourth step, about 4 or 5 feet off the ground. I just needed to get up on the next step. But when I lifted my foot, the ladder started to tip and threw me off of it. I threw my arm out trying to find something to grip onto, and then landed on the concrete on my right heel. My foot/ankle hurt, but I've sprained an ankle before. I sat on the ground hoping against hope nothing was broken. I had felt the force on my heel so I felt around it and it felt intact, but it hurt a lot.

My husband and stepson came over, and wanted to get me up. I thought my ankle was hurt pretty bad, so I told them we better get to urgent care or emergency for an x-ray, cause you just never know without an x-ray. Man did my foot hurt!

After x-ray, the orthopedic doctors on call came in. They said it was a broken heel bone, I'd need surgery, and have to stay off of it for 12 weeks, but they didn't really know for sure because they weren't foot specialists. For now, go home (because it happened out of town), keep the foot above my heart, make an appointment for Monday with either an orthopedic surgeon or a podiatrist. In the end, I sure was glad I called a foot surgeon. This break was so bad there was no way...anyway

I didn't believe it. I went home and hoped it wasn't that bad. Yeah, I spent the rest of the weekend with my foot up on a few pillows with the splint on. I got up as little as possible, used the crutches of course. I usually don't get hurt. I do things, but if anything happens, it's usually minor and I recover very fast.

By the time I got to the foot surgeon's office Monday afternoon, my foot was very swollen. It was the worst case scenario. Smashed heel bone, surgery as soon as possible, then absolutely no weight bearing for 12 weeks afterward. But the swelling would have to come down. If it didn't, surgery would be delayed. Wow, was this ever hard to accept. First of all, my life would have to stop. When they said foot above heart level, they meant it. No getting up, no walking, much less driving. And thank God we have a house without steps. Ah, yes steps - I never knew how daunting they could be with only one foot/leg.

My heart just sank. I looked down, I looked at my husband, I just thought and probably said, well I'll do what I have to do.

Thus began a journey longer than I ever thought was going to be necessary. A journey of healing, rehabbing, trying to get my life, ME, back. A journey I'm still taking...