I had a small accident on Saturday that has not immobilised me, but has certainly slowed me down a bit.

We had been out for an hour or so to get fruit and vegetables and have a cup of tea down the street. Wen we got home I discovered that I had forgotten to bring my keys, and thus couldn’t take any of the groceries inside. Adding further distraction, my beloved was still in the car taking a call from a friend, who had rung just at a minute earlier. I came down the steps to take my beloved’s keys and let myself in, but, being distracted, missed a step on the way down and tripped on it. I landed on the ground on all fours; fortunately I was nearly at the bottom of the steps, so didn’t fall any great distance. Even so, I ended up with a badly sprained left ankle and a graze to my right knee. (The way I landed at least meant I didn’t injure my hands or wrists at all.)

After we had put the groceries inside, I surveyed the damage. The area under my ankle bone (the lateral malleolus) had swelled up like half a tennis ball, and there was swelling to the foot and ankle generally. Fortunately I had a Velcro elastic bandage which wraps around the ankle joint and under the heel. I put this on (with an ice pack) to give the joint some support and allow the swelling to go down. The pain was not bad as long as I didn’t put weight on the leg.

That afternoon we watched a couple of movies on Netflix and just generally chilled out. I was able to hobble around to some degree, aided by a bamboo walking stick that Jill remembered we had. A couple of things fell into the “fortuitous and fortunate” category. The first: having just done a grocery shop, we had no immediate need to go out. The second is that my next appointment with Dr P, followed by the chemo infusion, isn’t until 16 October; by this time I’ll be more mobile.

It’s now Tuesday, and I’m looking forward to getting out of the house! (I have ventured as far as the bottom of the steps.) Before this I will need to have a sponge bath — I haven’t ventured on a shower yet. (To the suggestion of a shower, I replied “What would I hold onto?”.) Yes, accidents like this have highlit the need for us to install some fall-reducing stuff in our place. A grab handle in each of the showers and a hand rail for the front steps are at the top of the list. (The latter could have saved me the tumble.) Meanwhile I am hobbling around quite well.