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by antisocial
2522 days ago
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I was disabled for two months following my ankle surgery. I had to be non-weight bearing and was not supposed to let my foot touch the ground. Each simple daily step was ten steps. To change pants, find some place to sit, use the knee scooter to go there, sit and then change pants. Scooting to this sitting spot, usually a couch in my bedroom takes some maneuvering the scooter from a closet. Couldn't take a shower standing, getting into a tub was a big process. Through all this, I gained an appreciation for the permanently disabled people. I haven't recovered completely, but when I am, I want to use that knee scooter at least once a month to count my blessings rather than fretting about trivial things. |
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I have considered myself as reasonably aware for my whole life, probably because my mother was a physical therapist, but it wasn't until I spent some time being severely mobility-compromised that I really understood.
About 5 years ago, I had a bad cycling crash where I broke my hip. (Doing this at 44 takes some energy, apparently; they put me in a study because the number of healthy 44 year olds with broken hips who didn't get them courtesy of an auto accident or IED overseas is apparently small.)
I couldn't walk for 3 months, and was pretty compromised due to atrophy for another 2 or so after that. Mostly, I used a walker, but for a week on a cruise we'd booked, I used a wheelchair. Being in that position even for a short amount of time will really change your outlook.