Recently, I sprained my ankle. Badly. I'm grateful I didn't break it, but it hurts a lot nonetheless.
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| Mama T's "boo-boo" |
When I went to pick up my medicine at CVS, the cashier asked, "Do you at least have a good story?" Well, not really. I was helping the other parents on our day care's parent committee get things set up for our Fall Carnival last weekend. In my haste and excitement, I opened a gate and at the same time stepped the wrong way, rolling my ankle in a way it has never gone before.
Trying hard not to yell expletives, I promptly dragged myself onto the playground, where I could sit and regroup. I hovered in the sandbox, which had been my destination. I had intended to bury toy treasure chests so the kids could dig for them.
Once I stopped seeing stars, I gently bent my ankle in each direction, stifling a yelp, to be sure it wasn't broken. It seemed intact, so I just assumed it was a bad sprain and chalked it up to my own clumsiness. I even stayed at the carnival, parking myself at the yard sale table so I could help out, but not have to roam around too much.
Nothing was going to keep me from watching Anna have a good time.
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| The bouncy house rocks!! |
It's common sense, of course, to stay off of an injured ankle, to elevate it, and to apply ice frequently. But knowing you need to do something and actually doing it are two different things, especially when your world is inhabited by a toddler. Even after I got home later that day, I still had chores to do, a kid to feed, places to go, you get the idea. I rested as much as possible, but not enough.
Several days later, I broke down and went to be checked out at an urgent care center. I had resisted that because I knew it wasn't broken, but the pain and swelling weren't getting any better, so I thought, better to be safe than sorry. While x-rays confirmed that it wasn't broken, I was given pain medication, crutches and an air cast, so I suppose it's good that I went.
As I prepared to hobble out of the office, the doctor admonished me, "It's not going to get better if you don't stay off of it." I nodded, and then when I got in my car, I chuckled to myself. "Tell that to my kid," I thought.
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| Crutches are no fun.... |
When you have a 3-year-old, there is no such thing as rest time, unless your little one is abnormally tired, sick, or in an exceptionally lovey mood. I'm lucky that I can often get Anna to cuddle with me and have a period of rest, because she's super-affectionate, but it never lasts all that long. That's just the way it is. And there's no way in you-know-where that I'm not going to pick Anna up when she wants me to, or go to her if she calls me.
Ironically, it's not taking care of Anna that's the hardest part about this. What is really tough is driving with a sprained right ankle. That feels about as good as it sounds, especially when you're forced by the other idiots on the road to slam on your brakes. Ouch.
It's also annoying that, while I'm working, it's hard to be able to sufficiently elevate and ice my ankle. So, even though I have the chance to sit and stay off of it, I can't properly treat it and type too.... and when I'm at home, it's hard to sit and stay off of it. It's a frustrating cycle.
Anyway, my predicament just caused me to think about how medical providers often say (or at least it's printed on your discharge form), "You are the most important factor in your recovery!" And while I suppose this is true, we're only human and sometimes real life just gets in the way.
Our kids have to come first, no matter how we feel. That's one of the biggest demands and biggest truths of parenthood. Obviously it's important to take care of ourselves as much as possible and to recover from what ails us, so we can keep taking good care of them, but sometimes those directions and pesky restrictions from our doctors are just a wee bit impractical.
Besides, what could be more important in my recovery than little Pie smiles and hugs? She is all about giving me plenty of hugs so I heal fast and I am sure that positive, loving energy will help!
So I'm gonna do the best I can to take care of myself - doctor's orders! - and at the same time be the best mom I can be to a feisty, high-spirited little girl. Wish me luck!!
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