How Thick are those Glasses?

Well, it seems the most dangerous thing in my life these days is ME. I managed to fall two times on the same morning almost two weeks ago.

First I caught the front edge of my shoe on the steps and sprawled across the landing. I was slightly scratched and had a few tender places but seemed OK.

A few hours later I was doing a simple job, pouring collected rain water into a larger container. I slipped on the muddy surface and fell on the deck. I ended up with the left shin, right knee, right shoulder and right forehead black and blue and swollen. I ended up in bed for a few days barely able to move.

Pardon my old one dollar "yard shoes", had them for years and slip them on to walk Miss Bubbles or to just feed and water. I have good, heavy duty tennies that I wear when I am actually out there working. You can see the almost healed area just below my knee from the first and second fall. The deep red on the lower shin is from a fourth fall and the purple on the ankle and heel is normal, that's the vericose veins that I have all the time in this leg.

Sunday through Wed I had to work on a bunch of paperwork for Social Security, type a statement, gather financial statements, etc and send it in. I finally finished it all early Thursday morning (3am) and put it in the mailbox. When I went outside about 1030am it was so cool and beautiful I decided to do a little work in the garden, I was feeling better. Not so sore and it was nice to get outside again. I knew the afternoon would be too hot so I decided to get to it.

Very simple, water some plants, transplant a few items and then move about 20 concrete blocks from the front of the yard to the back area by the garden. Simple & easy, I finished the watering and transplanting in about 15 minutes. I had hauled one set of blocks and had to rest about 15 minutes. When I started round 2 I picked up the 2 blocks and needed to step up onto a flat section of grass. Evidently I miscalculated (again with the bad eyesight) and my foot slid back into the hole as I fell forward with the blocks in my hands.

I know it didn't but I would almost swear my toenail scraped my shinbone on my right leg!!!!! I heard, felt, or saw something tear or snap then my entire heel/ankle area went limp. I kept trying to get up but could not get my right leg to respond. I finally rolled onto my right side and was able to use the left leg and arm to get me to my feet.

OK this is a pic of my right leg about 10 hours after the fall. That black and purple mark on my heel goes all the way around. The entire area about 3 inches above it is numb. The front part of the ankle is partially numb but also throbbig and hurting. After a week it is all swollen like a tree trunk and a lovely shade of varying green and purple plus I still have that purple band. The second pic is my arm from the wrist back. I managed to chew off a good section of skin by hanging onto the concrete block during the fall.

I was in terrible pain but could put my weight onto my right foot so I was sure I had not broken the ankle. However the leg would not lift or respond to any commands I tried to give it. I was at the front corner of the mobile home so I was able to drag myself along in a crab walk while holding onto the front of the trailer. I would move the left leg then drag the right leg along. It took me almost 40 minutes to travel the approximately 24 feet to the front door.

Negotiating the two steps to get into the trailer were excruciating. I was yelping and hollering and am surprised the neighborss didn't come running. Luckily it was daytime and I think they were all off at work.

In about 10 hours it will be one week since that fall and I am still in misery. I can barely get out of the bed to do much besides make a sandwich or feed and walk the animals. Anything else is just too much.

I did a bit of research on WebMD and think I tore the achilles tendon or at least stretched it way further than it should go. For younger people it suggests surgery but for my age it suggests immobilization and elevation so I am trying to follow that route. Even trying to sit at the computer has not been possible except in short spurts. I have been working on this piece since two days after my fall but after 30 minutes my legs swell up and start burning and throbbing so I head back to bed.

So, I guess getting an eye exam is another item that will be high on the list when I start getting my check. I don't hear any volunteers to be my seeing eye hunk so I guess I better get some stronger glasses LOL. In the meantime I am trying to move slowly and stay as immobile as possible.

Edited to add pics

Doggie Garlic Breath LOL

Shown: My little Oasis with an old glider placed halfway between two dogs and supported with the railings to my unassembled deck :) Front left - Pickwick, Back left - Bubbles, the old girl, Front right - Bianca the attack cat, Back right under the umbrella you can barely see a set of brown legs with white boots, that is Bo the big dog.

I have used garlic powder as one of my defenses against fleas and ticks for eons. My boys get it heavily on their food in the spring and summer. I will cut back some in the winter but I make gravies and spaghetti superloaded just for them during the critter crawling months.

I moved into my mh almost 2 years ago but I still don't have over 1/2 of the boxes unpacked or put away. Last week I uncovered a box that should have been pulled out last spring. There was a bag of garlic bulbs stuffed in it. I was extremely sick last year and didn't get anything done in the garden. In fact I didn't even make it into the yard to cut the grass but one time last summer and that job took 2 weeks.

Anyway, I pretty much figured the garlic bulbs were no good but I toted them outside and tossed them onto the glider. Bo, the big dog, kept trying to get at them then he tried to grab it out of my hand. It took a few minutes before it finally dawned on me, he thought it was something to eat. He could smell garlic and associated it with dinner LOL.

On another note, since the boys were trying to eat the garlic bulbs I have decided to add more garlic powder to their food. I can't believe it but they are eating more lately.