Saturday 8 January 2011

Best foot forward, but mind the miniscule patch of ice

Regular readers (there may be one or two) will know I walk a regular six mile route on a Monday with a couple of friends during term time. The term started on Thursday this week (a Thursday, I ask you, what is that all about?!) so we walked on Friday. That was maybe my first mistake.

My second was holding the lead of The Other Louise’s (TOL) dog,  a beagle called Ailsa, so that she had free hands to perform a necessary dog-related task. It became tricky for some reason when handing the lead back, one of those strange extending jobs, and the lead was dropped. I went to grab the handle as it dropped to the floor, I felt responsibility for dropping it, but I must have put my foot on the only miniscule patch of ice on the pavement because the next thing I knew, I was lying face down with a sore hand and an exploding knee. Ouch.

Of course, I immediately scrambled to my feet and exclaimed, “I’m fine, fine, let’s go!” whilst feeling a *little limp inside. The pain in my knee was raging, but I distracted myself by surreptitiously checking my hands to discover the heal of my right hand was cut and bleeding, a tissue and pressure were duly applied unnoticed by my companions and as we walked on, the pain in my knee lessened.

Towards the end of the walk, TOL’s new boots were giving her grief, so I was glad to slow down a bit as my knee had begun to get sore again.

When I finally got home after collecting David for lunch, I checked my knee to discover swelling and bruising. Arnica and paracetamol were taken and an ice pack applied, but I felt very sorry for myself for the rest of the day. I shall have to rest it for a few days, so the start of my training regime is on hold, again. Pants! I have discovered, however, that the most excellent dressing for a cut in such an awkward place is a Tesco blister plaster! Snug fit, water tight and pain relieving.

*I have a habit of going into shock at the drop of a hat, a Reynaud's attack is a regular cause and I usually feel so rotten I have to sit before I fall. I decided to ignore the beginnings of the feeling and luckily managed to walk on.

9 comments:

Alan Sloman said...

oooh - That sounds nasty!

Take lots of rest with your feet up in font of the fire. You need a little bell - which can be rung whenever tea / coffee / cake is required. A good old detective movie would help take your mind off the pain.

Three weeks should do it (before the family do you in)

Gayle said...

Oh dear! Hope the knee's back down to a normal size and pain-free within a few days.

Louise said...

Alan,
Who needs a little bell? My trusty sidekick has made soup for lunch and a fab Tarka Marsala for dinner, with a pair of teef, wine and a wee dram for medicinal purposes only. God help my trousers if I'm not FFP soon!
Gayle,
Swelling is reducing and it's a wonderful shade of black, it's given me time to work on my spreadsheet for this years statistics though, which is useful. If a little sad.
Thanks both for caring, I am just the clumsiest walker ever!

Laura said...

Poor you! Hope you're feeling better soon - maybe try some Ibuprofen to reduce swelling. We're now installed in the Alps - however the weather is dreich and the snow rather hard and glazed - rubbish!

Louise said...

Hi Laura! Lovely to hear from you! Sorry the weather's not so good just now, I hope it improves soon.
Thankfully the swelling has improved, especially as I'm not supposed to take Ibuprofen (asthmatics aren't supposed to take it, but I have been known to in desperation, so long as David's around to watch me!) I'm getting very bored already so I'll be glad to get on the move in a day or two.

Could only be me huh? Devine retribution perhaps?!

Laura said...

Surely not - you've been good haven't you?...?

Louise said...

Well, I suppose it's a while since I couldn't breath for laughing so much as someone else's misfortune...

Louise said...

...which of course is spelled 'breathe'. Doh!

Laura said...

That's us all square then....!
(Well, in my case, round...)