…on the way home I  slipped on some cobbles, doglet pulled away, and I hit the road with the side of my face. My knee and shoulder didn’t want to be left out so joined in the smashing party.

Imagine lots of blood, a knee that was in a position it shouldn’t have been and a face that ballooned so much I couldn’t get my smashed glasses on. A quick look in the mirror in A&E showed massive amounts of bruising and explained why I was in pain. I sat in the waiting room and cried.

In the week following I went through various stages of pain and discomfort. The lowest point was not being able to get in or out of bed easily because of intense pain when I moved. 

I begged for help from the NHS and it  came as a delivery of codeine which I would have pounced on had I been more mobile. 

My immune system crashed leaving me with the worst cold I’ve ever had and I developed an allergy to dogs. My dog is now living with a friend for an indefinite period of time. I see him regularly but I can’t walk him. I do get to cuddle up to him though and he gets to give me a rash.

I never thought that I’d have to consider myself physically disabled yet I am now dis-abled. I will have a more mobile patella than previously and my shoulder may always have limited range of movement and strength.

I’m regaining confidence while I’m out walking but the thought of falling again has turned into a fear.

I have limitations physically so there’ll be no climbing walls to get to places I shouldn’t when I want that photo. There’ll be no more lying down on my belly and inching towards cormorants as they spread their wings on the pontoon in the dock so I can get closer to take photos of their beautiful plumage. There’ll be no more running for buses but then again, who wants to run for buses?

I’ve learned how to rest and have been surprised at how productive rest can be. Pottering around home gets chores done, it produces art work and there’s more time for reading.

Limitations or not, I live.