Bad Luck

I've been having a bit of a run of bad luck.

Erica sick on her graduation day, my favorite plate broke that day too, AND Vanilla went missing (plus all three cats the other night). I got rear-ended at an intersection and harassed on a train. Lena's pyjama party was a bit of a flop, and my iphone conked out, but last night I really topped it and broke my toe.

Ah, deja vu? I've written this post before, right? Yep, twice before, this is the THIRD time I've broken a bone in my foot!

http://yokomatsu.blogspot.jp/2010/08/oops-i-did-it-again.html

Oh and just now, I lost a filling.

And I still haven't got around to writing about the creep who tried to touch my daughters and smacked me on the head when I protested!

But back to the foot, which takes pride of place as the most irritating and inconvenient of all my unlucky events.

At least it was suitably dramatic this time, not just a bloody door frame or low concrete wall. I fell down the stairs. Or, a few steps anyway. It was during Lena's pyjama party for her 11th birthday. She'd already had a cry because it wasn't as spectacular as Amy's disco party two years before - most of the invitees either couldn't come or couldn't stay the night. So we were happy when the younger sister of one friend decided she would be able to stay. Their parents were standing in the genkan at the time, chatting away and making sure it really was okay for the little one to stay.

There were two futons downstairs, and I needed to get one more, plus blankets and quilts, so I went up with Lena to get them. She hauled the double futon out of the bedroom door, and I warned her not to try carrying it down - just push it, I said, it's safest for it to tumble down on its own (providing no-one's coming up the stairs at the time!). She gave it a wee push, and it went down a few steps along with a blanket she also pushed down. Then I followed, decided I would be better for this job, carrying a quilt or something. I think I was intending on gently pushing the futon down the rest of the way, but I slipped on the blanket, and went down just two or three steps, but enough for my toes to fold beneath me, quite a lot further than toes like to be folded.

I was fine in the immediate aftermath. Having the adrenaline rush of actually falling, and the relief of stopping 'safely' I felt fine, and reassured everyone I was okay. As Kanji finished up chatting with the parents in the genkan, the pain slowly increased until by the time they left, I limped out to him and told him I thought I'd broken it.

We considered going to the hospital right then, with Amy babysitting. I didn't really want to do that, but  it was better than his other suggestions of actually calling an ambulance, eek! No way. So we called. It turned out the one hospital that does orthopedic (no such thing as an emergency department in this town!) was busy with an emergency.

So we went the next day, and the hospital was still all closed down and quiet (and very, very cold - I had worn a skirt in case I got a cast and no socks of course, and I froze!). X-rays taken, foot examined, small crack in the bone at the base of the toe, nothing serious. A foam-lined, metal splint was bent over the toe, just like my little toe last time, taped on and gently bandaged over. It seemed to be a more sensible idea with the big toe than it was with the little toe (it kept falling off).

Aaaaand back again on Monday - 2 hour wait - and back again tomorrow and back again Friday, yep the endless dressing changes have begun and I am dreading the rehabilitation, I really don't want to be spending two hours every second day at the cost of $10-20 to wiggle my toes in a mini spa pool.

More tomorrow on the logistical nightmare caused by being NOT ABLE TO DRIVE!