As many of you know, I fell down my basement steps on March 21, 2019. Stupid me tugged on a coat’s belt as I was carrying it down stairs to put it away, so I could bring up some lightweight coats. Instead, the tug made me miss a couple of steps, and I hit concrete. It could have been a fatal fall, but through God’s grace I survived.
However, I never have faced such an injury before, thus I thought I would pull out of this in a couple of months. But the Lord had other plans, the surgeon ordered me to not put any weight on my left leg for three months. I was forced to use a walker during that time.
I learned what I no longer could do. I had to sleep downstairs in a bed unfamiliar to me. There I tossed and turned and several nights I did not believe I would wake up in the morning. This downstairs bedroom also was below our oldest autistic son’s bedroom. He would make sounds and that and the unfamiliar bed made it difficult to sleep. Of course, the leg ached as well and that also contributed to the agony.
But my husband was quite helpful to me, he had to make some of the meals and serve them to me and our oldest autistic son. It was a terrible time which became worse when weeks later my husband fell down a different set of stairs. He had to wear a boot for a while.
Thank God we made it through that horrible time. The Lord held our hands and a few weeks later my husband was well. I, though, continued to remain on the walker. I would come to the computer and my eyes would close from weakness. I could not write. My health prevented me from doing much of anything.
However, there also were many friends and people in the community who helped get us through this. They brought in food and for that I am ever grateful.
I did make a few easy meals, all thanks to a dear friend who bought some groceries for me. It took all the energy I had to even do this. I had never been this weak.
I am grateful also to the church’s secretary next door. She and her sons brought me home and enabled me to get into my house. She also loaned me an extra walker since I needed one to walk upstairs once I could sleep upstairs again. She also publicized my plight, and a church member dropped off a wheelchair for me. I remember using it to go around the downstairs rooms and dust.
Once I finished in-house therapy, I transferred to driving to physical therapy. One thing I could do with pride was drive. I even drove to Nebraska City — where my books were displayed — and back one day. The people down there were nice and set up my books for me and even sent me a card saying they were praying for me.
My Circle of Friends group also were very supportive. They brought over a meal and when I was able to go out they helped me inside a restaurant and carried my carryout meals for me. This is something you never would think of having trouble with until you face a serious injury as I did.
What I learned is how many people are there for you when things go wrong. I cannot thank them enough. Each person left their mark of caring.
After three months, I was off the walker and shifted to the cane. I used the cane when I worked the Sarpy County Fair in early August. It was not easy navigating it down to the bathroom, which was a couple blocks away from where I signed and sold books. I felt like an old, old woman, hunched over, and I know the pain of this ordeal showed on my face.
Physical therapy was no easy picnic. They pulled on my leg. At times, my eyes filled with tears of pain. But in the end, they helped me get better.
My spirits were down at times. My friends pumped me up because when you are going through something like this you wonder if you are ever going to get better. Healing is slow, especially when you are older. I prayed I could walk again and then the Christmas miracle happened on Saturday, December 21, 2019, (which was nine months later from the exact day I fell) when I walked without the cane!
I have been walking ever since that day. Some days I walk better than others; however, as I continue to grow stronger, this, too, will pass.
This all reminded me of the miracle of Jesus’s birth when a tiny baby was born who would change the state of the world. My youngest autistic son drew this nativity scene a few years ago. Thus I thought it was fitting to share it with you. Remember the Lord is there for you no matter what you face. God bless.
