1 – Anyone with a knee injury involving torn ligaments and cartilage has likely discovered over the years that it will make a return engagement from time to time. The photo above is from 2008, when I re-injured my bad knee and had to use my late Gram's cane to get around.
If anyone has seen me slowly making my way around with Gram's cane this week, you'll know that I'm in another season of re-injury.
2 – The original injury happened twenty years ago. I was captain of a team doing a scavenger hunt through downtown Toronto in support of The Children's Aid Society, and I'd just turned to make sure everyone was all together before we arrived at one of the call-in stations. A homeless man who'd been sitting over by the Salvation Army building had moved and when I turned around, I tripped over him. I tried really hard to stop myself from falling and ended up looking like I was doing a snazzy Broadway move, but eventually I went down hard on the cement sidewalk.
3 – My knee took decades' worth of wear and tear in one instant, my second physiotherapist explained to me. So in my late 20s, I was the proud owner of the knee of a pensioner.
4 – Over the years, I've had a special brace made for it, I've had physiotherapy twice, surgery once, and for the past three-and-a-half years, acupuncture treatment.
5 – I'm definitely hanging onto Gram's cane. I never know when it's going to come in handy again, and this week it's been worth its weight in diamonds.
6 – All had been going well in the past little while with my knee, until my husband and I were out last Friday for his doctor's appointment, then a stop at the bookstore and a movie. When I headed into the bookstore, I forgot to push the seat back when I got out of the car. Climbing back into the car, I whacked my knee hard on a corner of the dashboard. My whole body went weak inside and I felt nauseous. When I got back to my feet, my knee was rubbery and weak, as it has been in the past.
7 – Basically, walking down the street and getting into a car are all it takes for me to do some serious damage to myself. No spectacular ski falls for me, no sir.
8 – Thankfully, Gram's cane is never far from reach. I've hobbled my way through the week so far and have a few more days to go.
9 – It's amazing how exhausted it makes me to hobble around. I suppose it's the re-injury. Basically, I've gone to work, come home and slept.
10 - Luckily, my day job is a sit-down job. I've been able to get a lot of work done there, although my book revisions in the evening have given way to sleep.
11 – Sending a huge shout-out to my friend Tara for getting me home after a long day, all week long.
12 – Sending another shout-out to my husband for putting me back together again for another day.
13 – Looking forward to my next acupuncture treatment. Gram's cane will be tucked away again until the next time.
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