Perspective

Recently, I’ve had some things happen that were not what I wanted to happen.  I had a little fender bender…backed into a concrete pole.  Got everything set up to get that repaired.  A few days later, I got up from my desk chair and felt something pop in my left knee.  Talk about excruciating pain!  That happened at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, just before labor day weekend.  Called my doc the next morning and got into see him that afternoon.  I hobbled into the office.  He did some X-rays and found a torn meniscus.  He ordered me some Meloxicam (NSAID-non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and made a referral to an ortho surgeon.   Now just waiting on a call from him (ortho).

In the mean time I was moving slower and slower.  Finally reached a point where I could not put any weight on my leg.  Used my hubby’s walker for a bit, but that just felt awkward.   I thought about bringing in a wheelchair, but my house is not set up for a wheelchair, nor are the hallways and doorways wide enough.  Ding! Ding! Ding! Light goes off in my head….Use Your Desk Chair, Dummy!  It’s on wheels and it will fit down the halls and in the doorways.

So how does perspective figure into all this?  Well, I’m going to tell you.  When you are suddenly thrown into a handicapped situation, you begin to realize that some things you are not going to be able to do or at least have to do differently.  Things that you would normally whip right through are now taking twice as long and you have to have help.  Taking a shower, for example, now requires a chair in the shower stall.  Washing dishes from a seated position requires a towel on the counter to prevent the water from flowing down my arms.  Cooking requires being extra careful reaching across hot pots and pans.  I’ve gotten better at balancing a cup and rolling the chair.  Simple things you’ve always done now require major thinking to figure out a new way to do them.

I have a greater understanding now of those who are permanently disabled.  I even keep telling myself if I ever get a new house it will be handicapped accessible, at least with wider hallways and doorways.

Living life from a chair, even temporarily, is one heck of an eye opener.