Lame

I am so lame. Literally.

It really is a cliche that we take our health for granted until we no longer have it. It's amazing how many mindless tasks one does everyday that requires an intact elbow joint. Now that mine is immobilized in a sling, I'm missing how easy it once was to do the simplest things.

Getting dressed is an ordeal. Try putting on a bra with one arm in a structured splint. Even more difficult, try taking one off. Same with a shirt.

Putting in my contacts takes twice as long. I'm sure my oral hygiene will suffer, since I have to brush my teeth with my non-dominant arm.

Food prep has never been something I enjoy, but now chopping fruit is a painful process. Cooking is tricky at best. (Ever flip an egg one-handed?) I can barely untwist a bottle cap, and pouring juice is nearly a feat of acrobatic proportions.

Of course, the worst part of this whole thing is how it is hindering my child-related activities. It's hard to pick up Violet or hold her for any length of time. I attempted the zoo a couple of days ago, and it was a nightmare. Same with the park yesterday. Thank goodness I have such wonderful friends. They carried her, carried my stuff, played with her, and generally did my job as her mother for me.

You don't realize - or you forget - how debilitating these types of injuries are. Aside from the pain involved, it is just cumbersome to not have the full use of a limb. It affects your balance; other muscles become sore from having to work overtime to compensate for the bum ones; your lugging around extra paraphernalia to support the injury (in my case, a removable cast and sling); it's uncomfortable; and of course everything just takes longer. It is exhausting. And I will readily admit, I am not a trouper. I would, in fact, like some cheese with my whine, thank you very much. And go ahead and turn up the volume on that violin while you are at it.

A part of me thinks that I would feel better overall if this weren't such an ignominious injury. It would be one thing if I had hurt myself doing something cool. But I just... fell. On my bathroom floor. I put my hand down to break my fall, and the shock of the impact traveled up my arm and fractured my elbow,

The silver lining of all this cloudiness, of course, is how wonderful my friends and family have been. Tom has helped a lot without complaining. As I mentioned, my friends have stepped up and taken care of my kids. And Jack is constantly offering expressions of sympathy: "Poor Mommy. Poor Mommy's arm."

Every night since I hurt it, Jack has added this request to his bedtime prayers: "Please help Mommy's elbow get better really really really really really really very very very very very very very very fast."

Amen.