Her Torn Leg
Frustrated.
Slowed down.
Cramped.
Angry.
Rehab was slow going.
One tiny mistake.
And she could not walk.
For two months now.
So angry at self and leg.
One bad fall.
Bruised bone.
Torn meniscus.
Torn ACL.
Frustration level high.
Exercises were boring.
Bicycle hard at first.
A bit easier later,
but boring.
Mark, the physical therapist
begged her to try without the
walker.
She refused.
Fear factor high.
Did not want to
risk another fall.
Mark went on vacation.
Two small women therapists
tried to talk her into giving
up her crutches.
She saw them three times
a week, still refused.
Fear was enormous at
this point. She pictured
them kicking the crutches
out from under her,
so went back to the
walker.
Mark came back,
said, "let me see
you walk." She
did, with walker.
He told her she did
not need it.
She held on
stubbornly for
next 5 visits.
On a Friday he
said, "You are
not even using
the walker,
you need to
walk from here
to that counter."
It was about
15 feet.
She shook her
head "no".
"What is keeping
you back?" he asked her.
"FEAR," she said. "I'm afraid
of falling again."
"I'm six foot six," he said, "I won't
let you fall."
Ten minutes later the entire
place was shouting and
cheering as she walked
for the first time in two
months without a
crutch or a walker.
Everyone had been
watching. The usual
suspects except
Janice.
Janice was usually
on the exercise bike with
her. When Janice came
to the door, she ran
to the door and said,
"Guess what? I can walk."
"You cannot!" Janice
said. So she proved that
she could and they all cheered
again.
Copyright © Caren Krutsinger | Year Posted 2018
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