20 May -- 26 May 2003
It's 8 days until I have to see Dr, Vitanzo again. I have serious hopes that I'll be mostly recovered by then.
The immobilizer, when on properly, as put on by Hilary, is eating serious bloody gouges into my thigh on the inside. Even using cloth padding (a sock) is only a partial stopgap. If I put the immobilizer on myself I can't quite get it that high and it immediately slips down to rest on the top of my foot.In that position, my knee bends pretty freely. Since I have little or no pain, I'm not using it much.
On Wednesday I decide that the vacuum cleaner is a reasonable substitute for crutches and I can do some much needed vacuuming in the dining room. All goes well for about 10 minutes. Right in front of the buffet and near the heavy wooden stool, I do something wrong and just sort of sink slowly and painlessly to the floor. I'm so amazed that I lie there for a while thinking things over. I'm not quite sure what caused the fall, but there doesn't seem to be any damage. The stool is solid enough to make getting to my feet an easy proposition. At least I have enough sense to cease vacuuming.
Sunday we go to the great new Indian restaurant, Mainline Jewel of India, up in Ardmore. They have a back door off their parking lot, I wear the immobilizer and the trip is a great success.
Buoyed by the restaurant visit, I decide I can mow the lawn on Monday. It needs it. The lawnmower is a cordless electric and thus very heavy. It should be excellent support as long as I stay on the level parts of the lawn. That's the plan. I start right outside the front door and all goes well for a while. When I turn I pivot on my left (undamaged) leg. No sweat. Down by the Japanese maple, I forget to think and pivot on my right leg. It immediately buckles and I fall into the thick ivy, which turns out to be a superb cushion. It strikes me as so funny that I lie there laughing.The lawnmower provides enough support for me to get back to my feet. That's the end of lawn mowing though.
I don't think either fall has further damaged the knee. Both were somewhat controlled, slow, and not at all violent. Neither caused any pain, and there was no new pain when I got back to my feet. Still, toppling over is not a positive way of life.
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