Life lessons from a broken foot, and why crutches suck

I've been on crutches and off work for two weeks now.

Crutches and a moonboot to be exact.

Seems like overkill to me but my orthopaedic surgeon stubbornly assures me his many years of pre and postgraduate study, plus more than three decades in practice, means his opinion beats mine, so here we are.

Besides it's actually my fault, plus it's temporary and once again I'm full of admiration for people who find themselves with permanent mobility challenges and they not only get on with it but excel at life and sport and general endeavours.

We'd all like to think we'd be that inspirational person if faced with such a life challenge but personally I doubt it.

I'm sooking because I've been stuck here on the couch for a couple of weeks watching TV.

Here's what's happened and I'll spare you the most boring details, although to be honest none of it is enthralling.

About four months ago, I tore the meniscus cartilage in my knee (that part actually isn't my fault).

It needed surgery and I should have followed up with diligent physio, but work was pretty busy in March with a global pandemic and all, so I figured it'd be right, and I didn't do the physio.

The knee didn't get much better (duh) and one day it gave out as I stepped up an embankment at home and I fell and broke my foot.

Except I didn't want the foot to be broken and I reasoned it couldn't be broken because I could still walk on it. So I dopily limped around - for three weeks - before finally getting an X-ray.

Of course, it was fractured. Made worse after three weeks walking on it (duh).

So now I'm on crutches, trying to heal a bad fracture in a bone that's a bit notorious for being tricky to heal, and because of an old injury 30 years ago my other knee doesn't accommodate the crutch-hop very well, so the only way for me to really get off this foot is to - well - get off my feet.

So that's why I'm not at work, and why Karl has been pulling a double shift at both ends of the day filling in for me. Mind you, with a new baby he's not sleeping anytime soon so no harm done.

Here on my couch I'm having a good hard think about what life lessons to take away from this.

First, I'm going to get to know my physio really well once I can finally ditch the sticks. Prevention is better than cure and when you spend a lifetime taking your health for granted it'll eventually bite you.

And second, I'm going to figure out how to thank my beloved cavalry who've stepped up to run my place and feed my critters and take the rubbish out and do all the things you can't bloody do on crutches.

And I can't wait to see my A Current Affair family who've offered to cook, clean, visit and do chores.

You shouldn't take your health or your mates for granted.

Here endeth the lesson, I've got some TV to watch.

See you soon, I hope.