Monday, January 10, 2011


At the fracture clinic, a nice young doctor (who looked about 20 – the world is run by peachy-faced people nowadays, but I suppose this is good because I certainly don’t want to run much of it) offered me the choice between having a plaster on my leg (a stookie, as we call it in Scotland) or “a moonboot, like the footballers wear”. I’d never studied footballers’ legs, injured or otherwise, but when he said that I could take it off to have a bath – what an easy decision! So I’m now moonbooted up and while I couldn’t claim that it’s hugely comfortable, it’s tolerable.

He also said that I could put weight on the foot to a limited extent, which was very cheering, because let me tell you, swinging around on crutches while keeping one foot off the ground is not as easy as it looks. Easy for a slender young man with good upper body strength, possibly. I am not that slender young man. Apart from anything else, it’s impossible to carry anything, which rather restricts one’s usefulness about the place.

“I can go back to work now,” I said.

“What do you do?”

“I’m an English teacher.”

“My mum’s an English teacher.”

“My son’s a doctor.”

A nice parallelism.

So that was all good. Now I have to see if I can hobble round the corner tomorrow morning to the house of a kind colleague who’s agreed to give me a lift to work; and then shuffle round the college all day from room to room with the necessary stuff.

The great thing about teaching is that it takes one’s mind off one’s pain and sadness. At least while it lasts. But I do miss our distant offspring.

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:59 pm

    Perhaps you have discovered the purpose of your broken ankle, if there can be said to be one? To take your mind off your other cares, maybe. Focus on yourself and don't overdo it.

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  2. Lucky you having a walking boot. I wasn't allowed to put my foot down for 7 weeks and it was in a cast the whole time. It was awful as we live in a 3 storey house (washing machine in cellar...). I became very good at going upstairs on my knees.
    The New Year has also been very eventful for my family, unfortunately nothing good so far!!
    Look after yourself...

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  3. Hahaha -- that conversation was pretty funny - I'll bet that Dr. didn't expect you to say your son was a Dr.! Good luck on the healing -- you know, you really should milk it and stay home with it up for a week or two. ;-)

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  4. Oh dear Isabelle! You are being rather reckless here, don't you think? There are parts of the world where showing that much ankle would get you stoned! Have a care....

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  5. Oh Dear, so sorry, but the moon boot seems a good solution to ablutions.
    Take care..... not too much pain I hope. Get better soon ankle.

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  6. Very pretty ;) Hope you won't need your boot for too long.

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  7. Well at least you can go for the sympathy vote! Don't overdo it though.

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  8. Poor you! Hope you have some good books. Also, I'm glad to hear you are not a young man with great upper body strength. That would have been so disillusioning.

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  9. I am giggling to myself slightly at the image of Mr Life crouching down to get the best angle to take that photo while you pose in the doorway! Blogging makes us willing to do some very odd things, sometimes....... Glad to hear that you are mobile in moderate comfort and hopefully on the mend.

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  10. Oh goodness! I understand moon boots are back in fashion! Leave it up to you to lead the charge! Heal soon!

    (And your comment on my blig made me laugh - thanks!)

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  11. I do feel for you with regard to missing your offspring.....makes your heart ache sometimes doesn't it? Let us remember people who will never see their offspring again though ... and look forward to better times.
    The boot looks cumbersome..take it steady!

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  12. Anonymous7:38 pm

    Hope it all heals soon.Once when I was on crutches, my husband managed to kick one from under me!

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  13. Huh? Why can't your 'kind colleague' pick you up from your house rather than you having to hobble around the corner to his/hers?

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  14. Anonymous11:21 pm

    Goodness me! Surely a broken bone and a fracture boot is worthy of taking a little time off work. I hope you garner much sympathy and that everyone wants to do all of your marking for you.

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  15. Your poor ankle! It's good you have the option to enjoy a bath sans boot, bathing with a cast is highly inconvenient.

    I hope that the past fortnight has used up your alloted excitement for the year, leaving you only healing, Grannyhood, and a new son & daughter in law to look forward to.

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  16. Hope work not too exhausting. Heal fast Isabelle. x x

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  17. So sorry to read the downside of your recent adventures. Get well soon.

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  18. I hope your students will be kind to you when they see the moon boot. Don`t work too hard and make them carry your books!

    Best wishes for a quick healing.

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  19. Oh Isabelle, I'm so sorry that you have broken your ankle. My heart and thoughts are with you. May it heal quickly!

    A BIG hug to you!
    Joni

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