Walking woes
Well, this last week since I've been back in Stockholm has been full of ups and downs. I quickly learned how much I had been relying on mom for "simple" things like meals, etc. Funny how you get hungry when there is no one to bring you dinner. Since I had been getting out of the house a lot while I was home in Idaho (thanks to flaminglily), I figured it wouldn't be so hard once I got here. But its much easier walking down the front steps and across the lawn to the car than it is walking hobbling half a mile to the nearest subway station. I spent the first night back with the friend who picked me up from the airport, but Thursday morning when I arrived back at my apartment, I was disillusioned, to say the least. I had been traveling for three months straight (i.e. living out of suitcases) prior to my departure back to the States (which should have only been a 2 1/2 week vacation), so the room was an absolute mess. A veritable hazard zone for people on crutches.
That same day I was home for the first time, I was still having a lot of pain from the swelling, and it took me FOREVER even to go two blocks to get some groceries. That night, after a my slow, slow sojourn to 7/11, I had a bit of a mental breakdown. I was extremely irrational and emotional, and it felt like everything had come tumbling down around my ears. If I could have at that moment, I would have gotten on an west-bound plane and headed home to mom and the cats. Instead, I ended up calling a cab and heading to a_lost_marianne's for the weekend. (She and her son were so sweet to take care of me for the weekend!!) That gave me a chance for some much needed R&R. Friday was Marianne's b-day, so some of her friends came over to celebrate with homemade soup and apple pie. It was quite fun, but I had passed out by 9pm. Saturday and Sunday I was able to make it back downtown to meet with some friends (Saturday I met up with galestorm and kimbis and we went to H&M, and I purchased my annual scarf, which i subsequently lost at the bank yesterday) and get my daily caffeine fix. Then on Sunday evening my Belgian friend Fiel helped me sort out my apartment and hauled a lot of junk up to storage in the attic (funny things, like all those high heels I won't be wearing anytime soon).
Yesterday was my first trip back to the office, and the first day that I haven't used crutches at all. I guess it feels good to be "walking" again, although this thrust from being at home with mom to suddenly being by myself has not been the easiest to manage. I'm also frustrated with trying to find a therapist here. There is a month long waiting list to get into most offices, and I imagine it will be another month after that before my second appointment. While I appreciate the universal access of socialized medicine, I'm extremely frustrated by the pace.
I have been participating in on on-line forum for "healing heelies," i.e. people who have similar heel injuries as I do. (Oh yeah, welcome Fred, 2unlock to LJ!!) Several people, while doing well walking for the most part, have complained about difficulties walking on "uneven surfaces," everything from grass to sand. This week, I also learned first-hand what they meant about walking on uneven surfaces. In my opinion, cobblestones dating from the sixteenth century certainly qualify as an uneven surface. OUCH!
According to my doctor, I am supposed to graduate at the end of next week from this ugly ski boot that I've been wearing to regular sneakers. As I am still having problems even walking around my apartment with flip flops on (too much pain concentrated in the foot pad), I have difficulties seeing how that is going to happen. As much as I would love to rid myself of this horrid-looking fashion-phobic contraption on my foot, I would rather at this point keep walking WITH the boot than have to go back to crutches AND sneakers. Funny how I've easily I've grown accustomed to things like having my hands free again.
That same day I was home for the first time, I was still having a lot of pain from the swelling, and it took me FOREVER even to go two blocks to get some groceries. That night, after a my slow, slow sojourn to 7/11, I had a bit of a mental breakdown. I was extremely irrational and emotional, and it felt like everything had come tumbling down around my ears. If I could have at that moment, I would have gotten on an west-bound plane and headed home to mom and the cats. Instead, I ended up calling a cab and heading to a_lost_marianne's for the weekend. (She and her son were so sweet to take care of me for the weekend!!) That gave me a chance for some much needed R&R. Friday was Marianne's b-day, so some of her friends came over to celebrate with homemade soup and apple pie. It was quite fun, but I had passed out by 9pm. Saturday and Sunday I was able to make it back downtown to meet with some friends (Saturday I met up with galestorm and kimbis and we went to H&M, and I purchased my annual scarf, which i subsequently lost at the bank yesterday) and get my daily caffeine fix. Then on Sunday evening my Belgian friend Fiel helped me sort out my apartment and hauled a lot of junk up to storage in the attic (funny things, like all those high heels I won't be wearing anytime soon).
Yesterday was my first trip back to the office, and the first day that I haven't used crutches at all. I guess it feels good to be "walking" again, although this thrust from being at home with mom to suddenly being by myself has not been the easiest to manage. I'm also frustrated with trying to find a therapist here. There is a month long waiting list to get into most offices, and I imagine it will be another month after that before my second appointment. While I appreciate the universal access of socialized medicine, I'm extremely frustrated by the pace.
I have been participating in on on-line forum for "healing heelies," i.e. people who have similar heel injuries as I do. (Oh yeah, welcome Fred, 2unlock to LJ!!) Several people, while doing well walking for the most part, have complained about difficulties walking on "uneven surfaces," everything from grass to sand. This week, I also learned first-hand what they meant about walking on uneven surfaces. In my opinion, cobblestones dating from the sixteenth century certainly qualify as an uneven surface. OUCH!
According to my doctor, I am supposed to graduate at the end of next week from this ugly ski boot that I've been wearing to regular sneakers. As I am still having problems even walking around my apartment with flip flops on (too much pain concentrated in the foot pad), I have difficulties seeing how that is going to happen. As much as I would love to rid myself of this horrid-looking fashion-phobic contraption on my foot, I would rather at this point keep walking WITH the boot than have to go back to crutches AND sneakers. Funny how I've easily I've grown accustomed to things like having my hands free again.