I’m sure I’ve done a post with a similar title at least once before; Sod’s Law is universal, it chucks its brickbats indiscriminately at all and sundry.
Some years ago I broke my ankle; we were going on holiday and interrupted the journey to give our then dog, Boris, a pee stop on a pretty picnic site. The grass had been freshly cut and a large heap of clippings had been dropped down an embankment, which lead into some woods. A perfect place for a dog to empty himself, I thought. Boris thought so too. He made off down the slope into the woods, me following. And slipping on the clippings.
An ambulance came and instead of going on holiday I went into hospital, where a lot of metal was nailed in place to mend the ankle.
Some months ago this ankle began to feel rather stiff; not madly painful, just uncomfortable. Eventually I saw an orthopaedic surgeon who said other than operate and take out the assorted pins, plates and nails there was little to be done. Not an ideal solution, to my mind. It would take another lot of plaster and weeks of recovering mobility. He was a lovely Indian doctor, young, handsome and keen to do something for me, so, after feeling all around the ankle, studying the x-ray, playing a game of push and shove, twist and turn with my foot, he metaphorically scratched his head, sighed, and asked would I be happy to see a physiotherapist and do some exercises. Large deep brown eyes implored me to say yes and make him feel that he hadn’t failed his patient.
So then I went to see the physiotherapist, another young man, this time with sweet blue eyes. He too fiddled about with foot and ankle and came up with no other solution than to give me some exercises to do.
By now ankle and foot had recovered a bit anyway - or perhaps the weather had changed and dried up enough to ease the rheumatics - so I forgot about the exercises until, about two weeks ago, I saw the sheet of paper still lying on the hall table at the bottom of the stairs. One of the exercises uses steps so I had a quick go, whipping my foot up and down on the bottom stair. Ten times. It pulled a bit.
By the next day I was in agony; the ankle was fine but my hip was on fire. For two weeks I have been limping and cursing, using a stick to propel myself forwards and clinging to chairs and tables and sofas, praying for the paradise of mobility regained.
The hip is easing, finally. There’s been no gardening and only the most abbreviated dog walking. If it hadn’t been so very painful I’d have laughed.
If it isn't one thing, it's quite a few others . . . (Another version of Sod's Law.) Hoping that you heal soon.
ReplyDeleteAll those little aches and pains drive me crazy. I never know if it's just a reminder that I'm getting older or a sign that I'm inflicted with some sort of flesh eating deadly disease.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, what a story and it truly is sod's law at work. When I had severe hip pain I took some 8 hour pain tablets and they worked a treat. Have you tried that?
ReplyDeleteFriko, I've found that many so called solutions only added more problems... but who knows, in the end maybe both your ankle and hip would be better?? (or not!)
ReplyDeleteSomething similar to this one
ReplyDeletebut it is now a severe problem.
In a new home 12 years ago
much planting of plants I moved
did not have on proper shoes
and for weeks thought I had a sprained ankle
Years later, exrayed and told I had fractured it years ago.
Nothing could be done
So now, foot is crooked, does not matter but arthur has set in
Wear a special made orthodic in my shoe
realize it could be worse
now a balance issue.
but wish I had gone to a doctor years ago..
Sod's Law is nearly identical to what I learned as Murphy's Law --that anything that can go wrong will. But Sod's says it will go wrong at the worst possible time, which makes Murphy sort of an optimist. Best speed on your recovery, Friko.
ReplyDeleteOh shyte, Friko, like you say "the paradise of mobility". Here I was on a downward bend, black dog just about leaping, and I read your post and think "not so bad, look at Friko." Hope to hell you regather yourself and your ankle, sans sticks.
ReplyDeletespecial hug.
XO
WWW
At times, I think we are strung together with rubber bands...well in a way we are.
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon. I am restricted from too much time in the sun, so I garden before 9 and after 3. I shall resume dog walking next winter.
Sigh. All too familiar. I hope your hip and ankle learn to play nicely again. Quickly.
ReplyDeleteWhipping your foot up and down. No, exercise gently as we get older. You must have hurt yourself quite badly to be in such pain, but at times it doesn't take much to do that.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the leave-well-enough-alone camp. still, I wouldn't have thought an exercise for your ankle would have affected your hip!
ReplyDeleteI know it's not nice to laugh at the misfortune of others but I still do it occasionally. Maybe you need to find a way to whip that hip back into shape! Honestly, I do feel sorry for you, I know what it's like.
ReplyDeletePain is bad enough but anything that limits one's mobility is hard on dog owners, gardeners and equestrians. I'm not riding again this weekend, trying to let my knee heal after catching my foot in the bed linens and taking flight, like Peter Pan (without the wires and little green suit). I have become a believer in the eficacity of the Cortisone Shot. This knee had forgotten all about its osteoarthritis for quite a while, until I torqued it and the bursitis in my hip only acts up if I ride a particularly wide horse.
ReplyDeleteI do tend to try not to follow medical advice...their priorities and mine do not match...
ReplyDeleteI do hope that things improve....can you get some codeine for the pain?
why do things fall apart from time to time? Usually they straighten out after a while but when they're happening it's a pain.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you in your (hopefully lessening) pain. Know that feeling well Friko - last post told of my miserable week. Anything involving steps sounds a big warning bell for me - clumsy so and so that I am
ReplyDeleteBig (((hugs))) coming your way from a cool down under.
Cathy
commenting via google - won't accept my wordpress id
Oh Good Lord!! What can I say? That really sucks!! I hope things settle down very quickly. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteOh nein, Du Arme! Warst Du wegen Deiner Hüfte nochmal beim Arzt? Weißt Du, ob es das Gelenk oder die Muskulatur war? Eine Freundin von mir hatte starke Schmerzen in der Hüfte, und es stellte sich heraus, dass es eine Entzündung im Körper war, ausgelöst durch einen Zeckenbiss. Aber bei Dir hatte es ja einen anderen Anlass, Dein "Treppentraining".
ReplyDeleteI've never broken a bone in my life, but I know what you mean about the hip on fire. I recently spent three weeks with my mum's old walking stick close by to help me get around. I'd get out of bed and sit in a chair with a hot water bottle pressed against the back of my hip until it eased enough to get on with my day. I eventually got fed up enough to smother the entire hip, back and front with Deep Heat Rub, slept like a baby and woke up pain free. Next time I won't be waiting three weeks before rubbing with Deep Heat.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get more relief as the weather warms.
Sorry to hear this friend, but I am wondering if you stepped on those steps just a little too much. If you were given exercises to do, you start slowly and ease the ankle into them. One, two or three steps and gradually build each day. If that didn't work, then I would go the long route and have the surgery. Afterall, we are talking your mobility here. What is 3-6 weeks or a couple of months compared to injuring it more and not getting around at all. I am almost thinking too, that some of those nails and plates could be pinching something inside. I might even go back and talk to that young, handsome Doctor again. What the heck. Take care and hope you are out and about soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to read this. I really do wish you better. I remember learning about Sod's Law when I first moved to London and I loved not just the meaning but also the concept behind it.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
As many of us have learned, it only takes a second to injure ourselves, but months to recover. I hope you threw away the exercise instructions.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time, I was nearly immobilized by pain in my lower back. If I walked from the car to the grocery store, by the time I hit the first aisle the only way I could continue was to bend over at the waist and take the pressure off the "whatever" was causing the pain. Lo and behold, the orthopedic surgeon sent me to a sports therapist, who also gave me exercises. I learned to stand differently, and how to bend to do certain chores in my work, and within a month I was pain free.
ReplyDeleteWhat I do wonder is whether exercises might be more effective when it's the actual body that's causing the problem. If it were your own ankle causing the problem, I'd agree that the exercises might do the trick. But, if the "something" involves the plate and all those artificial bits and pieces, it might be a different story.
Condolences on the hip, too. I once did terrible damage to my right hip when I hit a tree root on a pogo stick. When I mentioned to a friend that the incident was another bit of proof that we're fragile, she gave me a look and said, "It's a better bit of proof that some of us are stupid. Stay off the pogo sticks."
Hopefully continued and gentle therapy will ease this. Do not get discouraged, even with the pain. Keep an optimistic outlook and respect the fact that it will take more time than you want.
ReplyDeleteKnocking wood the pain passes soon. How frustrating!
ReplyDeleteTo use an overused phrase, "I feel your pain". I really do. My knee gives out do to an ancient injury, then my opposing hip screams, and my toes tingle andI say "Oh, bother", or something stronger. Seriously, I do hope you are back to dog walking and gardening asap.
ReplyDeleteOh my that post does give out a bit of stress. Sorry to learn you are getting hit with those nasty twangs.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated by your observations of your young doctors' eyes. I never manage to see that much.
I am well practiced at limping and cursing. Sometimes it's the best alternative.
ReplyDeleteI too have a bad ankle, from an old injury. There doesn't seem to be much they can do with an ankle, compared to knees and hips. But despite your recent experience, I think stretching and mild exercise are the best things to do. However, in the end, you're right ... if it's not one thing, it's another!
ReplyDeleteGetting old is not for sissies! I had a similar mishap, broke an ankle and it took many years before the ankle was good enough to stay quiet and out of my attention. Physical therapy did help; but not without initial duress, I may add.
ReplyDeleteAs Gilda Radner used to say, "It's always something!" But it is terribly annoying when what is supposed to help does just the opposite! I hope the hip pain is short-lived and just the effect of using things differently. Hot, cold, whatever helps -- but I do hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up the definition of Sod's Law. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteI hate to be limited in my mobility, and this sounds like you are - and in pain on top of it. How very annoying, and I hope it is getting better.
ReplyDeleteDon't look into those eyes anymore, no matter how sweet and beautiful they are...
Oh Friko ... if that hip needs addressing ... email me?! But I'd rather it recovered itself for you .. take care and keep us informed about the patient, who may be in one of your other rooms for a while ... Boris and your broken ankle sound like a very unfortunate incident - could have happened after the holiday ... seems a pity that was spoilt. All the best for a gardening recovery ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDelete