Saturday, July 23, 2005

A different kind of day

Had an "episode" last night whereby I had to call that special phone number and play back whatever was recorded on the heart monitor! The rapidity of my heart beat awakened me from a dreamless sleep which lent me a sense of foreboding that something was not quite right! Once my heart settled down into its regular irregularity, I was able to gather my senses and make the required phone call and let the monitor tattle on my errant pulse!

Apparently it wasn't anything too alarming to whomever was listening on the other end, because the nice lady told to me everything is okay and I should go back to sleep! That was comparable to my telling Miss Freckles to not try to catch the errant squirrel which pesters her every morning!

Today, after imbibing my morning coffee, I made a trip of about 65 miles to be "fitted" with a cane. Somehow I wasn't able to compute that a cane had to be fitted to me! I thought a cane is a cane is a cane, right? Wrong, oh great Beagle Breath!

After viewing quite a large and varied selection, I asked "Do you have anything with more of a feminine look - like maybe in pink or red or blue, anything but black?" I reckon what I needed is a sturdy, clumpy, very senior citiizenish, black, adjustable cane. Then, I was taught how to use the durned ugly thing! Wasn't aware there is an art to using a cane - but I always try to stay open to learning new things (even at my advanced years!).

After graduating from cane-using class, I was sent on my merry way with the following advice: Your cane is now your best friend. I will have a hard time explaining that to Sally, my bestest friend in the entire world! Don't think she will like being usurped by a cane!

However, in the short time that I've been supported by my new best friend, I am more than grateful to have it. Walking is much less painful for me, which is wonderful. I will have to work harder, though, at not gripping the curved handle so tightly - may develop "cane elbow" or might even develop much-needed muscle tone.

2 Comments:

Blogger Milt Bogs said...

A page of links to research decorated canes. A lady walks her three dogs past chez Milt. She has wrapped small artificial flowers all round her cane. It looks strange.

1:33 AM PDT  
Blogger Mama Mouse said...

I have a cane too ... not a decorated one .. just a plain wooden one. It has been my constant companion outside my front door for 14 years. It is so normal to use it that even if I didn't need it, I don't think I could manage without it.

It is an antique cane 1st used by my great grandmother in the early 20th century. She was a widow and so it was black ... a kind of black varnish actually. When I got it ... I scraped the black off and now it is a lovely, mellowed wood.

Canes can be useful too! You can get things off of high places if you are short like me. You can open dumpsters with them. You can hit people if they try to attack (never needed to YET). And I've even used mine to prop under my leg while riding in the car (as a passenger) to help my bad knee.

Make it your friend ... but not your BEST friend! LOL Humans are STILL better!

9:45 PM PDT  

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