Crutches.....I despise them.
But what other choice do you have when you don't have two good legs?
I have been thinking the last few days of all the things I have taken for granted. Crutches make you realize these things really fast. Here's my list for today:
1. Independence - I have none. Say I want a Diet Coke. I used to be able to get in the car, drive to Sonic and get one, and come home and enjoy! Now, I can get in the car with a lot of effort, I can drive to Sonic, and I can go through the drive thru and get one. Then I drive home. Here lies the problem. I have my diet coke, but how do I get it in the house with crutches? So I either spend the day in the car, sipping away, or resign myself to the fact that there will be no diet coke. I have tried carrying it in my teeth, somewhat works, but is not easy!
2. A clean house - I used to moan and groan when it was time to clean the house. Now I would give anything to be able to clean the kitchen and bathrooms, run the vacuum, and dust. And the laundry? I would have to invent some sort of basket or sled to pull the clothes behind me as I crutch to the laundry room. Ain't happening.
3. Eating when hungry - With two good legs, I was able to go to the kitchen and get food whenever I was hungry. I can still get to the kitchen, but it's hard to get stuff out of the fridge, get to the pantry for the bread and stand to make a sandwich. One day it took me 20 minutes to get a bowl of cereal. Sometimes it's easier to just starve or wait for the hubby to get home to feed me.
4. Baths - With two good legs, I used to love my baths. My tub was my happy place. Now, it's just a chore. Every time I get in, I am praying I will be able to get back out. Yesterday I took a bath with a spider. It fell down from the ceiling while I was in the tub. With two good legs, I would have been able to hop right out, but I couldn't. I was flailing my arms and leg, screaming because I was bathing with a spider. I finally got out, caught the spider, flushed it and then had to rest to get the energy to get back in and wash my hair.
5. Keys - My car has a remote key, meaning you don't have to put the key in the ignition, it just has to be in your purse or in your pocket. Since being on crutches, I don't carry my purse anymore. Too hard, so I put my keys in my pocket. This morning, I needed to run an errand. I loaded up my belongings in a grocery bag and headed out the door to my car. I got all situated in the car and tada, no key. GRRRRRRR!!! Now with two good legs, I would have just ran back in and grabbed my keys. Instead I sat there for 10 minutes cooling down from my workout getting to the car in the first place. Then I gimped back in and got my keys and gimped back into the car. Something that should have taken 2 minutes took 20.
6. Toilet paper - With two good legs if you run out of toilet paper you just run downstairs to where it is stored and get more. Not me! When I ran out of toilet paper, I had to get to the stairs, sit on my behind and slide down the stairs while holding my crutches. I'm 34 years old....not 4, but here I am going down the stairs like a little kid. I then crutch to the storage room, grab the toilet paper and attempt to throw it down the hall. Once I reach the toilet paper I begin my routine of "kick the TP and then crutch to it" repeated many times. Once I reach the stairs, I grab the TP and throw it up the stairs as hard as I can, hoping it doesn't roll right back down to me. Lucky for me, it stayed. I then proceed to crawl up the stairs dragging my crutches behind me. Once I reach the top, I begin the "kick the TP and then crutch to it" routine again. Finally I reach the bathroom with the TP. And mind you, while all this was happening, I had to go to the bathroom!
That's it for today. More to come! Next time you have to do any of these things, be grateful for two good legs!
