Lying on My Back Isn't as Fun as it Should Be, but I Still Feel Great!

Apparently I need to learn how to walk again. It's become my arch-nemesis. I used to be an athlete, and I never injured myself as badly as I have just walking. A few weeks ago I slipped and did a number on my knee, but it's not the first time I've caused major damage when I should be safe from myself.

This, of course, is the reason I haven't been around lately. I've barely been on Facebook, and that only because I finally bought a new smartphone. I hate typing on the damn thing, because a touchscreen keyboard really sucks. I prefer actual keys so I know what I'm pressing. Still, it's a temporary phone until I can afford the BlackBerry I really want. I had to cave and get a cheap Sony phone to tide me over, but at least my daughter will like it for the PlayStation aspect when I turn it over to her.

I'm finally back in a chair, instead of lying on my back for all the wrong reasons. I had to have my knee propped up, and was on crutches until a little over a week ago. Even now I'm really careful about what I do with that leg. Twisting it, or letting it go into the locked position, is something I avoid at all costs. Life doesn't stop because you've got a funky pin, however, so I've got no choice to get moving on things.

Speaking of moving, the landlord was sympathetic enough to let us stay another month because there was no way I could move like that. Now we're struggling to find an apartment, but a lot of that has to do with me hating that kind of thing. I have to force myself to spend just one day making all the calls I need to make. I've got a great list of places to call, at least. Technology is awesome. You don't even have to go anywhere to see what a place looks like. You can weed out the ones that are completely unsuitable. Some sites have walk-through videos which are even better than pictures.

So, hopefully in less than two weeks we can get our butts into a better apartment. I don't even want to talk about why this apartment is so terrible. It's embarrassing. Let's just say we've made friends with the mice, but there are other friendships we're not willing to consider.

The great thing is, I've suddenly started feeling really good again. I had to rebook a specialist appointment because I couldn't get down the stairs of my building, but on May 14th I finally see one of the best surgeons in Canada. I have hope in sight. My life is just over the horizon. I've tried to live as much as I can in my current situation, and keep my spirits up, but it's not easy when you feel like everything wonderful has been taken from you. Now I feel like everything wonderful will be mine again, and the appreciation and anticipation are enough to get me off my butt to move my life forward again.

I haven't been myself for a very long time. Now I'm gulping down the air and my mind is bursting with everything I'm going to do. There are things I've been doing already. I didn't just lie down and die or anything. I mean, I was writing, I've been producing The Kovacs Perspective for more than two years now and taking it in a new direction with my partner, and I've been planning my future and looking forward to a time when I would be pain- and drug-free. When I say drugs, I'm talking about prescription and over-the-counter, not illicit. Not that I'm pure there, but it's been many years since I delved into that goodie bag. A lot of people smoke pot to help with pain, but it has never helped my pain and I hated the way I felt on it so I don't bother with it.

It's kind of like the air is fresh, even when it's not. I'm gulping down a mouthful of freedom I guess. I've been feeling trapped in my life, even knowing it was temporary. Knowing the cage door is about to open is a heady experience.

Whatever you do in life, appreciate every advantage you might have. If you can walk, be thankful for where your legs can take you. If you can hear, be thankful for the music that can fill up your life and the voices of loved ones. If you can see, relish the beauty of the world, whether it's by reading an amazing book or watching a sunset over the water. No matter what has happened to you, what you may have lost, remember the things you still have. That's the only thing that's kept me going the last few years, having to wait to regain the full use of my body and mental faculties (which have been dimmed by the medication needed to handle the pain). Well, my ferrets have been a huge help, too, so I can't forget them. They make me laugh when nothing else is funny.

One of the hardest things to deal with when encumbered by something that restricts your life, and especially something that causes chronic pain, is the emotional toll it takes. Most people suffer situational depression, and I'm no exception there. The problem is, if you tell your healthcare provider what you're feeling the first thing they want to do is stick you on anti-depressants. I'd like to know how the hell they think that's going to help. I mean, situational depression is not a chemical imbalance, so treating it with chemicals will do what, exactly? It's just going to screw with your own brain chemistry and add a chemical imbalance you didn't have before.

That was a lesson I learned when my ex started going through all that with his physical condition. It was severe, painful, caused irreversible damage to his body, and he was understandably miserable. Suddenly the doctor assumed he was going to attempt suicide, and then they took away the pain meds he needs so badly, which of course only made him more miserable. I mean, really! Talk about a stupid way to handle it. Getting rid of the pain is the only solution that works, not allowing a patient to suffer unnecessary pain.

So I never mentioned the frustration, despair, etc. I've got a lot of emotion locked up inside me now, waiting to be let out. I intend to use it to propel me forward. Back into the life that was delayed for so long. I've still got a bit of waiting to do, but I'm already cutting back on the pain killers. I can stand pain for a while, just not long-term when it starts driving me crazy, and as soon as my injuries are repaired I want to be able to get back to my life. I don't want to have to wean myself off the drugs then, because that would only delay me further. The drugs I take affect my ability to think clearly, and to me that's almost as intolerable as the pain. I have an affection for my strange little brain, so I'd like to get back in touch with it as soon as possible. My concentration has been shot, and there have been some projects I've put on the back burner because I just can't deal with the steep learning curve right now. I've got new software to learn, and courses to take.

Still, I can only be grateful and appreciative that there's an end to the misery in sight for me. There are too many people out there who know they're stuck in their situations for the rest of their lives. They're forced to make the best of it and fight off the inevitable depression. I think I could cope with almost anything except permanent pain, though I've dealt with pain most of my life so maybe I could cope with that, too. I just don't want to have to, and it looks like I'm going to be one of the lucky ones. Plenty of reason to smile and feel good about the future opening up before me.