Sexy knees

 

Remember how I pointed out the uneven sidewalks in the receiving area of the last photos? I should heed my own advice!

Uneven sidewalks are simply a part of life here in China. They are cracked with age or depressed due to settled earth. You can often find open manholes without signs indicating that they are open or without barriers. In other words, it's a minefield.

Many years ago, I had surgery on one ankle. Ever since then, that ankle has been weaker than the other and will "give out" (collapse) when I step funny. While I try to watch where I'm going, I, too often, have simply fallen down due stepping sideways on small cracks in the sidewalk. Larger cracks cause me to fall faster and harder!

In December, I stepped "funny" and fell resulting in my twisting my back and fracturing a bone in my wrist. No, it wasn't a serious fracture . . . it's a fracture on the surface of a bone and it's healing just fine without full immobilization. I also ended up with a pinched nerve in my neck with was quite irritating while it healed.

Then, last week, wouldn't you know, I fell again! My right knee took the brunt of the fall, as well as my previously injured hand. I couldn't really untwist myself quickly (I was with friends) and dang if an entire crowd of people didn't gather around. Many of them did try to help, but by that point I was just embarrassed and angry that this had happened yet again.

I feel extremely blessed. It could have been so much worse! While my knee is bruised, it really doesn't hurt too much. The swelling went down after a day. My hand hurts no worse than before, so the fall didn't cause any additional injury. The doctor suggests that I pick up a carpal tunnel splint while I'm in Hong Kong to provide some immobilization, just in case there is anything else happening. (We didn't do another x-ray, though.)

Sexy knees indeed!