a byte of me

Heres an update on my knee that I fractured while skiing more than a month ago. I have finally recovered enough to stop using crutches after being on them for four weeks. However, those four weeks made me realize how difficult life is for someone who is handicapped.

Suddenly, something we take so easily for granted, like opening a door, becomes an activity that needs to be handled correctly. Since both the hands are required to walk properly with crutches, after pulling the door open with one hand, you have to quickly move that hand onto a crutch and then use the crutch to stop the door as it swings back in. At times people would hold the door open for me, but it always made me self-conscious of my situation. Being an independent person, I didnt always like it. At first, I liked those who didnt care about me and moved on with their business.

But I soon realized that everything I wanted to do had to be planned as to how I would do it. If I wanted to go fill my water bottle, I couldnt just take the water bottle and go to the water fountain. I needed my hands to walk with the crutches. Who would hold the bottle then? So I had to plan and carry my backpack to just hold the water bottle to the water fountain and back. And thats just one case. There was no way around to carrying a dish full of food from the kitchen to sit and eat except for not using my crutches at all. Can you imagine that?

So slowly, I learned to be okay with taking help from my friends. Friends helped me shop for groceries. One friend helped me get medicines from the pharmacy. Others asked me to move in with them in their apartment so I dont have to worry about food and other such chores where I end up walking without crutches because I need my hands to carry something. I thank everybody who was considerate and thoughtful and helped me out in one way or the other.

Although I havent completely recovered, atleast now I am back on both feet. I can put enough weight on my knees that I can walk. But once I start to run, I feel a seering pain go through my knee right up through my entire thigh in just three or four steps. So I can't resume andyhigh-impact activity like hiking, jogging, or skiing yet. I have to make do with stationary-cycling and elliptical machine for now. I can't wait to get better like I was before!