After more than a week of standing on a bench, a small scaffold, a very big scaffold, and various ladders, I stepped the wrong way off a 2ft bench and folded my ankle right over sideways. I'd been reaching for the paint try, which was set on the little scaffold at waist height, and suddenly I was on the floor with a paint roller beside, and a hurt spot in the middle of my back from scraping the bench.
Thinking, ow ow ow ow this is not good ow.
Jethro walked in with a length of baseboard, said, "Hi honey," and walked back out again to get a nail setter. He came back seconds later and all I could think of was, "Hey, guess what happened."
So he got me an ice pack from the freezer, duct taped it around my sock, and I got back to work. I was thinking, I can manage this. Hey man, nothing new. It doesn't hurt that bad. I can finish this job.
I really sincerely want -NEED - to finish this job. We need to get the studio up and running and earning money instead of sucking it out of us. I get the cold sweats when I consider how much this renovation is... no let's not go there ok? Jethro wants to make music, no matter how much he loves to build things. That's what they do there: make music. Also I want my life back! I'll set it aside to get the studio back into shape, because this is how my family makes a living (snort, haha, whatever that means) but I haven't been on a horse in a month, I haven't made up any lesson plans, and I haven't written enough of anything. However, I feel like I can't get on with my stuff until this is DONE.
So Mnday evening I limped out of the building, stepped sideways in the snow and wrenched that weak ankle AGAIN.
Let's just say I was very quiet on the way home.
Then I swallowed three industrial strength advils and a panic pill and stayed passed out until sometime the next day.
I went back to work yesterday, but I was very slow. I got a little nifty machine which I call the Rolling Tractor Seat. I plunked myself down and painted anything up to arm height. Bubba helped me out by grabbing tools for me so I wouldn't have to get up and hobble across the room. I've been injured often enough (through being a bone-headed clutz) that I quickly develop tricks to get jobs done.
I really tried not to feel sorry for myself. But by evening I was wearing thin.
Almost ten years ago, I sprained this particular ankle for the first time. My 3-year old colt, MC, confused my "jog" cue for "buck" and launched me straight up. I landed on -yep, you guessed it- my left ankle. That's the only time I've ever failed to get back on the horse after a wreck. But the injury only slowed me down; I was on crutches for a week or so, and later that summer, we went to England for a family wedding, and I went riding, danced all night in high heels at the wedding (there may have been alcohol involved, I'll ask Jethro since I believe he was sober that night) and climbed cliffs in Wales. When we came home my ankle was a little worse again. DUH! I still did an entire show season with my good horse, Champ. I got permission from the ring steward to stay on my horse after the speed events, since getting on and off was difficult. (We've always had a safety rule at that saddle club that riders must dismount and lead the horse out of the ring; this prevents stampeding horses running down anybody near the gate.)
Champ and I earned Reserve Champion in speed events. Then I went to physiotherapy for eight months.
Tonight I have planned to attend a Riding Instructor's training course. I could go and lean on my cane. But with me being so slow with the painting, I feel like I should stay and get more done!!! He's got a string session tomorrow. I have to get the piano booth done. I'm so close. I gotta get it done.
I feel kinda like how I imagine I would feel if I'd been hit by an imaginary truck.
At least tomorrow I will be forced to sit on my butt and read and write.
Gah. Okay. Here I go. Dragging my butt off to work. I've got one last burst of ambition and it's gonna get used up real good and hard today.
I'm sorry but I gotta say it. It sounds so much... cooler... to explain the ankle with "I got bucked off a horse" than "I fell off a 2ft bench."
18 comments:
That really sucks, Heidi. I hope you get better soon. Please never sprain a finger.
Crap this stinks.
Keep it elevated! I can't blame you for fighting on, though. Do what you think is right (but keep it elevated!)
LOL
Oh Heidi - I KNOW how much that left ankle sprain hurts. I've done it twice - each so bad that I was on crutches and in a "sexy" boot for 6 weeks. One hiking a mountain and once while JJ and I were working cows.
Anyway - do what you can, but you really, really need to take care of yourself. If you don't, you won't be able to take care of your family. Right? RIGHT!
Awe. I'm totally making my sad/worried face at your. Sorry hon.
Don't do anything to make it worse or you'll be really bumming. At least it's the dead of winter-- get it healed up for your forthcoming bout of spring fever in a couple months!
Also-- you obviously are very driven to help in any way you can-- but it's not the iron man. Don't over do it!
Don't hurt yourself trying to help, Heidi! Hang in there. Sorry you hurt yourself.
About the "cooler" comment at the bottom, yeah, it's cooler to say you fell off a horse. 3 weeks ago I tweaked my ankle doing jumping jacks. Yes, process that for a minute. Jumping. Jacks. It still hurts but is feeling much better. I told my sis, she laughed at me. :(
Hope you feel better and keep it elevated, wrapped and whatever you need to do.
yeah, you know we'd never know the truth of it if you didn't tell us!
feel better soon.
I hope that you are back on your feet soon. Nothing sucks like an old injury being, well, injured again.
Remember when I was on crutches almost three years ago? I fell on my own foot and broke a bone. How lame is THAT? At least you were doing more than just walking!
Take it easy. Please :) Don't hurt yourself anymore.
Heidi, I'm sorry. I'm buried in learning the new job blues and missing my horses something fierce, so I understand.
So how about adding to your fun by asking some writing questions?
No pressure. Well maybe a little.
We have been writing about the road to publication on the Equestrian Ink blog. I know you are great at continuing to write and send out in the face of rejection. Are you in the mood to pop over there (EI)and add your two cents to the discussion? (Or one cent considering the economy)You seem to have done some serious research on publishers, cover letters and agents. Are you willing and do you have time to share? Let me know.
I'm so sorry you're hurt! That really stinks... although perhaps it's what you need to get writing again?? Hey - the kids aren't learning that much in school - just pull them out for a couple days to finish the painting! :)
And I want that picture - the one of you keeping your foot elevated while painting!
Ouch! I know that you feel it is crucial to get all this done but please don't over do it Heidi.
It's the 2' bench that gets you every time. We can handle the big stuff, but watch out for the little stuff.
Rest that ankle as best you can- a day of reading/writing should help- feel better soon!
You know what all the old horse guys say, right?
"It's the safe horses that'll hurt ya."
In other words, get lazy, let your guard down, BOOM You're in for it!
I want to answer you all, but it'll wait til morning... I got my foot up on two pillows, I got a dog and a cat, and a bed full of blankets and it's goodnight from me!
Aww, shoot, Heidi. That blows. Just be sure to wrap and baby that sucker the way you would a show horse's. (Some bute probably wouldn't hurt, either, lol) Hope you're back on both feet soon.
Yeah....it's good practice for wrapping a horse's legs.
lots of alcohol and you won't even notice ;-)
So sorry to hear about your owie. We had our camper parked in our drive (we were getting ready for a trip) and my kids liked to play in it. One night my son left his stuffed bunny in there, so I went out to get it. I stepped out & didn't see a rock. I went down, flat out. I cryed and yelled for help, and my family sat for a 1/2 hour watching TV, not even noticing that I had been gone FOREVER. I finally had to CRAWL into the house. Dysdhubby said "wow, I didn't even know you were still outside." Pft.
Dsyd- Nice. Not! I Know the feeling... I mean I can laugh about it now, but Jethro just cruised in and figured I was having a little break. Sitting on the floor. Surrounded by scattered paint tools. AT least I didn't have to crawl to get help!
Preacherman... don't think that didn't cross my mind... (can you imagine what the paint job would look like?)
Nicole- Bute = advil?
Hayseed- yeah, reading is very therapeutic. More tomorrow!
Coffeypot- it's true! Watch out for the small stuff! Just can't be too careful eh?
Michael... sneaking suspicion that this is some kind of message??? Jethro works these hours (and longer) all the time, but I am just not Jethro. He's tough. I'm... um, not.
Heidi, truthfully, I spent the morning asleep! I feel much better now and starting to itch to tell stories. That's good. And we'll probably bring our able bodied kids to work on Saturday for a bit of clean up and touch up. Sadly, no picture of the foot-up arrangement although there are a couple of me on my little scaffold!
Mugwump, done! Ask me anything, I'll tell. As for our horses...they are so easy to miss. I've gotten used to living my daily life without them, but being a working barn student was helpful for getting my horse fix. Looking forward to limping out to see them!
Biddie... you are the champion! I still can't quite picture how you did that. Your feet really aren't huge. but be assured that I did some hardcore Taking of the Easy today!
Dilling, shoot, you're right! Why must I be so honest all the time, darnit!!!
Brit, Jumping jacks! I am not laughing, I am not laughing, I am not laughing. Honest.
Pseudosue- I'll remember that now- don't overdo it, or things like this could happen!
Cindy- THAT'S what i'm talking about! Hiking up a mountain and working cows! I mean, it's really not a contest, but at least you were having fun at the time! Sounds like you done it up real good and bad. You also nailed the worst thing about it... if Mom's aching, the whole family suffers.
Jkb- It's elevated! Jethro's been singing U2's "Elevation" at me all week. He's so clever.
Kerri- I will avoid ever spraining a finger, I promise.
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