Broken Bones

Did you ever break one of your bones? When I was a senior in high school, I took my sister and younger brother on a sled nearby to our creek, which had frozen over. We had fun trying to stand up on the ice, and I would get the sled sliding in a circle to give them a fun ride. Well, I slipped in the process, falling on my face and breaking one of my front teeth. That ended this outing, and we went home, where a trip to the dentist became the order of the day. Mom drove me to a nearby town of Dryden, where we visited a dentist, and he made me a temporary cap while fixing me a replacement tooth, which meant more trips to install it once made. He did a great job, and that fake tooth worked for many years until it finally had to be replaced several years ago.

I don't think that breaking a tooth exactly qualifies as a broken bone, and I had felt lucky that I had not done that so far in living my life. Well, if you live long enough, you get your come-uppance. In Omaha about 2-3 months ago, I was hurrying down stairs to tell HW2 that I had successfully removed a broken tree branch and cut it into firewood pieces. Guess who completely missed the bottom step? Yup! Me! Of course, I fell and really twisted my right foot. We were both shocked, but quickly I managed to get up and with HW2's help, started the icing process. Well, it swelled and turned black and blue and in a few days, lots of other colors. She even got me a cane, which proved very useful to get about. Other than the swelling, it really did not hurt, so I decided that nothing was broken, and we got on with our activities, which included a sudden trip to Albuquerque, about 900 miles away. My foot didn't hurt, so I drove using cruise control as much as possible. We spent a few days there, and then driving back to Omaha my foot seemed to begin to hurt inside as if a bone had been, maybe, broken???

HW2 put her foot down, and within a half hour of arriving home we were at the hospital and had x-rays taken. It was broken. It had been swollen enough that they said this was probably the first date that they could have cast it anyway. An hour later, I got driven home and with a lovely cast on my right foot and up to just below the knee. Suddenly HW2 had to do all the driving. I could get around with the cane but was not good for much distance work.

I discovered motorized carts in grocery stores. They are really fun to drive, and I kept trying to find fellow sufferers who might become racing companions, but no luck. Each store seems to have their own brand of motorized cart, and it takes a bit to get used to its functions. I even wore one out at Sam's Club and had to walk back to the front of the store to get another.

I met a lady walking in Old Town with a cane and tried to see if she would trade canes, but all I got was a smile. People even opened and held doors for this cripple. How thoughtful people can really be when they see the need.

After three weeks in the cast, we returned to the hospital and tried to talk a physician's assistant into removing the cast, as Ashley's wedding was that next weekend. X-rays were taken, and she announced that not one, but two, bones had been broken, and I would have to remain in the cast for at least two more weeks. We pleaded, and she arranged for a visit to an orthopedic surgeon the next day. Now visions of surgery were going through my head, and with great trepidation we returned to the hospital to meet the surgeon. He had the cast removed. It was a toxic waste dump by then. He looked at the x-rays and announced that I was to now stand up, and not only that, but to stand balanced on my broken foot. This did not seem like a good plan if I was really having two broken bones, but I complied with his request. Nothing happened!!! He said, "You are good to go. I can see no evidence of a second broken bone and the first bone is healing well." Whew! What a relief! I had prepared myself to face certain surgery and now, I was good to go. Thank heaven for that.

Broken bones or teeth can humble you very quickly, and suddenly you are at the mercy of your surroundings and very limited in ways that you are not used to. Now when asked, I can really say, "Yes, I have broken a bone. Have you?"