Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Update: the Good, Bad, & Ugly

I am typing one handed and with my non-dominant hand. It isn't an experiment in being a lefty, but the result of spraining my right elbow in a truly scary tumble from my chair to the sidewalk on Sunday afternoon. I was rolling down the street and with my poor peripheral vision, managed to abruptly drive off the sidewalk, have my front wheel drop into a hole and the jarring impact tossed me out of my chair.
The bad is that  I was holding a 9-month old baby when I fell and the good is that she wasn't harmed. Her mom complimented me on falling so protectively. I think that an angel was protecting that little girl, through me. I would gladly have broken any of my bones rather than have anything happen to her. Another good is that while I am achy, bruised, and twisted, for the most part my injuries are quite minor.
Ugly is wading through the frustration and anger of another setback. My MS symptoms are predominantly left sided and I rely on my right side to maintain some semblance of normal.  My right arm is how I drive my chair, transfer, sit up, eat, and on and on. Now, after two days of forcing my left arm to do more, it is becoming weaker and the joints are hurting. Exactly how am I supposed to be armless?
I have bruises on my leg, ankle, butt, and elbow. And, my confidence in being in the world. Already my 'alone' world was reduced to walks around the neighborhood and my house. Now, I have to face that even in walks within a few block radius I can fall and be hurt and stranded. I had a friend with me this time, how could I dare to go out alone? 

2 comments:

Janine said...

I'm so sorry to hear of your tumble and aftermath...though the zen-martial -art-like baby-protection in the midst of fear, pain, and tumbling chaos was remarkable !!! With sorrow and Love, RT-Pops !

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

So sorry for those tumbles, but we do learn lessons from them, I hope!
kim