Looking back

A year ago today was the most frightening day of my life. It was the day I fell down two steps in our basement, fractured a vertebra, and changed the lives of everyone around me.

The last week I have found that going near those basement stairs is scaring me again and I've been having nightmares about people falling down stairs (I hate that Disney commercial from last Christmas where the dad in the Goofy ears is so excited about a discount ad for Disneyland in the paper that he falls head over heels down the stairs. It makes me cringe and I hope they don't play it again this year!) I'm leery of the slippery sidewalks. I loved the snow on the weekend, but felt very uncomfortable walking on the slick ground. I hope that as more anniversaries pass, the fear will abate and eventually go away.

Now that the agony and discomfort are gone, that I can tie my own shoes, that our house is empty of people "babysitting" me, that the medical equipment has been cleaned and returned, looking back it doesn't seem so bad. I know I'm kidding myself, it wasn't fun for anyone - yeah, I was in pain, but my Mom and Alex had to do literally everything for me for the first few days I was home...and I really do mean everything.

Once I was helped into a standing position I could walk very slowly with the help of a walker, but I needed help doing everything else. I couldn't even eat my dinner without a pile of phone books so that I wouldn't have to lean too far forward or lift the fork too far to my mouth.

But good things came from this. I learned a lot about a lot of things. Alex and I have made some healthy lifestyle changes, including cutting back on all the things we did away from work and making time for our family and friends. My fall just emphasized to me how wonderful Alex and my family are and how great my friends are. We had help from all kinds of people and lots of visitors (very important medicine, visitors are!) We've figured out how to take life a little less seriously...I've slowed down the pace of life and I love it! I know what's important and I've learned to embrace it. And I've had to integrate some healthy exercise habits like daily stretching and walking and regular swimming into my life.

And this year, this year I'm going to enjoy Christmas...last year was probably the most memorable Christmas I had, my Mom and Dad had, Kelsey and Rebecca had, but I don't think you'd find any of us saying it was our FAVOURITE! This year, well, I'm going to enjoy Christmas and my week off!

I couldn't have made it to this point without a bunch of people - Alex, Mom and Dad, Kelsey, Rebecca, Brian and Tiki, K., Ann, Debra, Fiona, Stacey, Heather, Julia, Dr. K, and many, many friends and Guiding ladies...a couple physios, a couple doctors. I am so thankful that today I'm mobile and able to do pretty much everything I could do a year ago.

Thank you everyone who has been there in the last year...I couldn't have made it through the first three months without you and the last nine months had their ups and downs and when I needed a laugh, a talk, a walk, some encouragement, a whine, some wine, a hug, anything at all, well, it was there, waiting...Thank you thank you thank you...

I promise I'll try not to fall down the stairs again - I know Mom, I said that the last time too, but this time I'll really try!

Oh...and this is my plug...you can read it or ignore and it's just a plug...I'm not trying to tell you what to do with your hard earned money! The Red Cross was invaluable to us. They provided us with all of the medical equipment we needed, both in Kelowna and in Vancouver. So if you're planning on donating this holiday season (or ever for that matter) and you're not sure who you'd like to donate to, the Red Cross Equipment Loan Program provides medical equipment at no charge to people who have been injured, had a stroke, had surgery or otherwise need assistance and you never know when you or someone close to you might need their service.