Lesson learned from falling

No matter how careful we are, it’s inevitable that sooner or later we will fall. Some will be minor/funny, such as me tripping on a vine on the beach and landing face down in the soft sand. Others will be serious with some damage.

While gardening recently, I fell in a split second and have yet to figure out how it happened. Our property has many large volcanic stones and we’ve planted around them quite successfully. In addition. Dick has built steps so we can move about easily.

When I sat up after my fall, I saw that my hand took the brunt of the fall, I could clearly see the bones – not good. Called our doctor who directed me to the emergency room, where stitches were put in, I received antibiotics and pain medicine and was directed to have the hand x-rayed. The film showed a broken carpal in the left hand and a chipped one next to it. A cast was put on, misery for a month but now almost fully recovered.

The incident made me pause and think of several things. One thought is to always minimize the possibility of falls. Another that once the inevitable happens, seek immediate medical attention and follow directions to the letter. The last one is a way to deal with the trauma, the accompanying helplessness. Ever tried performing your normal daily activities with one hand?

Frustration was instant and daily. I don’t deal well with being dependent on anyone, so I was grumpy, impatient and just generally a bear to my poor husband, who did a fantastic job of helping with everything from cooking to hooking my bra. Fortunately, my housekeeper is a good cook, so she cooked some meals.

As I had lots of extra time, I came up with several ideas to make this type of ordeal tolerable.
     • First & foremost, I am thankful for not having been more seriously injured or killed.
     • I found activities to distract from the misery. I walked or rode public transportation, got             out, visited friends, pursued my normal activities outside the house as much as possible.
     • I read and called family and friends with whom I hadn’t been in touch.
     • I found a quiet place and a way to center myself or meditated. For me, my view of the             ocean & the endlessly varying clouds seen from my terrace is what restored me to                     equilibrium. And does everyday. 
     • I summoned hope, knowing it would end and normal life would resume.