The view from here.

“Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience- or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.”

― Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

I broke my foot. While running. It’s called a Jones fracture.

The most common foot injury we see, the Doctor said.

The nurse brought me a brand new bootie wrapped in plastic and a set of crutches. You’ll be needing these, she said.

How long? I asked.

Six to eight weeks, the Doctor said. Depending on how you heal. You cannot put weight on your foot. You cannot drive.

I looked down at my it, my foot, the culprit. Shit, I said.

It’s been a week since navigating the world on crutches. Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Crutches fall over. Crutches fall all over the damn place. You think you’re just putting one down for a second to reach for something, resting it up against something for a tiny moment and it’ll be there when you reach for it again but most times it will not be there when you reach for it again. It will fall over. You will hear it start to slide, down the counter top, down the wall, from the arm of the chair and you will hear it crash to the floor. The sound of it hitting the floor will scare the dog. But you will find you are used to the sound by now. You will stare at it lying down there on the floor and realize the someone that has to pick it up is you. You are the only one. So you accept this fact and re-manuever and you reach down and you pick it up, again and again. You reach down and you pick it up.
2. People want to help you. Your friends, your family, your CF Friends and Family. They want to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Everything is going to take much longer than you think. Much longer. And it’s going to take more energy too. Get used to it. Suck it up. Take a deep breath. Swallow your damn pride. Get used to it. And then just get on with whatever it is you need to do. Just start moving. 3, 2, 1… Go.
4. Crutches when you get out of the shower are cold.
5. Be Patient. With yourself. With those around you. With your dog. With the universe. Just be patient. The world we live in is beautiful. You will heal.