Roberta Heale, EBN Associate Editor @robertaheale<\/p>\n
Tomorrow morning I\u2019ll be going to an appointment with an orthopedic physician. Last week I twisted my ankle, fell and found out that I\u2019d broken a chip off my right lateral malleolus. It\u2019s been less than a week with a cast, but it\u2019s been real eye-opening experience.<\/p>\n
At first I was frustrated. To start, let\u2019s discuss the crutches. What an enormous nuisance. Awkward, and almost dangerous when I first get out of bed still half asleep. Next, it\u2019s my driving foot. I\u2019ve been \u2018trapped\u2019 at home all week. Quite a shock for such an active person! However, after a few days passed I suddenly had a large dose of humble awareness.<\/p>\n
I really don\u2019t have it all that bad, in fact, I have very little to complain about. My husband has done all the cooking. He\u2019s wrapped my leg up in plastic so I\u2019m able to shower. Our house is several levels, but all the important bits are all on the main floor (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, sitting room). Not only do I have amazing support and quick access to good healthcare, but I\u2019m incredibly fortunate to have the physical strength to maneuver on the crutches and do my personal care myself. I also have the mental capacity to make my own decisions. I have a job which gives me the flexibility to work from home and great benefits to cover the cost of crutches and medications.<\/p>\n
Since this realization I\u2019ve taken a step back and decided to treat this time as a gift. I\u2019ve been forced to slow down. I\u2019m taking the time to heal and take the time to realize my blessings. I hope that this feeling stays with me when I re-enter my hectic life and that I realize that most of the patients I see don\u2019t have the same benefits in their lives. I hope too, that I\u2019ll be more aware of the need for my advocacy. It\u2019s unfortunate that it takes a minor mishap to confirm for me how lucky I am, but if it makes me a better health care provider it\u2019s well worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Roberta Heale, EBN Associate Editor @robertaheale Tomorrow morning I\u2019ll be going to an appointment with an orthopedic physician. Last week I twisted my ankle, fell and found out that I\u2019d broken a chip off my right lateral malleolus. It\u2019s been less than a week with a cast, but it\u2019s been real eye-opening experience. At first […]<\/p>\n