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Memories of Tumble Won't Soon Fade
by LIZ THOMPSON

Falling in love is just plain fun! I still remember that wonderful experience nearly 30 years ago.

But falling on the ground is not something that's fun for me anymore – and for some reason I keep doing it. Well, I really know the reason most of the time – it's because I have multiple sclerosis. But I fell, very recently, on the floor, and it's a clear memory.

This fall resulted in a broken wrist and surgery. If it was MS-related, that remains questionable.

I slipped on a blanket and had no way to break my fall, no pun intended. But I have one suggestion for anyone who might be prone to falling – take extra precaution around the holidays and have a restful time.

If at all possible, don't fall or injure yourself over the Christmas or New Year holidays, because there isn't a specialist in sight. I'm quite sure that emergency rooms and urgent care facilities are swamped this time of year.

A good doctor in Urgent Care in Grove City confirmed that I had, in fact, broken my wrist. He put it in a splint, told me to elevate and ice it and get to an orthopedic doctor as soon as I could.

Then he added, "Good luck finding one before the new year!" I fell on December 23 and saw an orthopedic doctor on Dec. 29. That was the first appointment I could get, and then he turned out to be a shoulder man. I learned that orthopedic doctors really do have specialties, and he referred me to the doctor in his group who was a wrist doctor.

I kid you not.

I saw the wrist specialist January 4 and surgery was January 10. So I walked around with a broken wrist for more than two weeks.

The wrist doctor asked me what I did for a profession and when I told him I was a freelance writer he said, "We'll do the surgery." Now I wait for the healing and physical therapy. If I had decided to let the three bones in my joint heal without going "under the knife," low mobility and arthritis would settle in.

During my Splint Days, I learned that slicing vegetables with one hand is near to impossible as I had more than one rollaway tomato hit the floor.

There are many other things you cannot do with one hand. I know this because the year before I fell and broke my arm – the same arm.

I have always been quick to give advice, staying on the positive side. In early December, my 10-year-old grandson, Jacob, fell and broke his left arm.

It was driving him crazy not being able to ride his bike, rollerblade or ride his zip line where he had fallen and broken his arm. So in my inevitable fashion, I decided to make a list for Jacob of all the things he could do with one arm and one hand, with a total of 32 items. I included a short list of six things he could not do.

What is that saying that if you give advice, one day you may have to eat it?

If Jake loved to write like I do, I would expect a list from him. I guess I better read what I sent him when his arm was broken (Yes, I'm chewing paper right now!).

A friend suggested it was time for me to buy Dragon Naturally Speaking voice activated software and I did. I don my headset, and continue to train my computer to know my voice. It's an interesting experience. I find if I talk too loud, gibberish comes out or words are spelled phonetically. I'm thankful someone invented it.

I have a little bit more time than usual to think and I recalled a quote I learned when becoming familiar with the disability community because of my deafness and my multiple sclerosis: "If you can't use your right hand, learn how to use your left." I have a brother and sister who are Lefties and I can hear them now, "And what's so hard about that?"

It would be easy for me to feel sorry for myself but I refuse. Even now as I speak into my microphone, my arm itches under the cast, and I chuckle thinking of people whom I have met over the years who either have no arms or no use of them.

I know it's true that you can always find someone worse off than you are but its important not to diminish what someone is going through. In my case, I really do not want anyone feeling sorry for me because I feel blessed to have survived all of my mishaps.

This December?  I think I'll sleep through it and my husband wants to cancel the month.

Published in Suburban News Publications
03-07-07
 

Liz Thompson is a former SNP reporter and freelance writer who lives in Grove City with her husband, Bob.


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