Due to my injury I will not be able to attend Word on The Street.

This leg business has been something else. I have had to defer from attending Word On the Street this year because I was told yesterday that I would need to be on crutches for another month or two. Two is not a number I was looking at and one is too much of a gamble since today is the deadline. I am just grateful that I will not be losing my money and can use it towards next year. This leg business started with me being at the gym and all excited that I was feeling my best. I felt like I was in great shape. Then I went home and I got a shooting pain within my right calf that evening. It was so bad that I cried. I took a tylonal to help ease some pain so I could sleep. I haven't had a perfect night sleep since. I also haven't taken any pain meds since. I have seen so many clients become addicted due to pain medicine which was initially prescribed, that I would rather suffer the pain and boy did I ever. That happened on a Friday. I thought the pain would subside but Monday, I was doing paperwork all day and by the end of it I was no better off. I was worse. I managed to get to see a physio therapist and he wanted me to go to the hospital. We compromised on me going to see a physician. I tried my own doctor's office, which had closed for the day and then limped to the walk-in-clinic which was also closed. The pain only enhanced. I finally decided to go to Sunnybrook emergency and again limped all over the place to find parking. They don't accept credit cards and I had limited cash for the emergency area. One person on a scooter led me to a parking space and I used all my cash for about 2 hours parking. Limping became more difficult. I got into the emerg and now you have to supply all your info to a machine. The last time I went to emerg was due to a sprained ankle years ago and boy a lot has changed. I was informed by a staff member that my purse was on a print out machine and so I removed it which is where I received a receipt and number. I limped towards a seat in a congested area. A man was loudly speaking into his cell phone about conspiracy theories. This was just after the attempted killing of Trump. I found an empty seat as far as possible from him but he continued to be just as loud. I looked up at the tv screen which indicated we were 110 in the waiting room and it would take 10 hours for most of us to see triage. Another half hour later we should be able to see a physician. The operative word here is "should". Triage has sure changed since my days in the military. Triage was conducted to determine the state of seriousness of injury. It sure didn't mean most should be seen in 10 hours and maybe you will see a doctor a half hour later. The man kept on saying the same thing and I thought there was no way I could hear about Trump for another 10 hours. The only sane thing he said was that he had never seen an emergency room like this. That I agreed with. A woman in front of me kept glaring at him and yelling out that no one wanted to hear him. Of course he couldn't hear her because he was too busy hearing himself. You know buddy, if any leader wanted someone dead, he would be dead and a sharp shooter is all that is needed. Not everyone is as obvious as Putin and North Korea. The tv screen again indicated that the numbers on our cards was not indicative of where we stood in being seen. I decided that I could not wait in the emergency throughout the entire night. I got up and while limping by the Security Officer, I informed him I would rather die comfortably at home than wait here for 10 hours minimum. He appologized and suggested I try another hospital. There was no way that was going to happen. I let him know that it wasn't his fault. I went home after meeting the parking Enforcement Officer near my car. I spoke to him briefly. Glad that at about $5.50 an hour I still had time on the meter. I tried using my credit card initially but it said it was counterfeit. I was so glad that I had no problem using my card after that and finding that it was not so. The next day I managed to see my physician and I told him that my physio therapist suggested that I get an untra sound. I see now that everyone was concerned I may have a blood clot. I suppose if I had, I wouldn't have made it by then. The temp secretary (the regular secretary was on holidays) was informed to get me in soonest and she said that the primary place the technician was away (I learned later that he wasn't away, he was just fully booked). The Secretary tried to call another place and there was no answer so she gave me a form of the primary location and directions to the second place. So I went, limping and suffering more pain. Now this was the day Toronto flooded. I went to the place recommended and the place was full of water flowing from the ceiling and there was no electricity, thankfully. They informed me to go to another location and guess what? They too had no power and there was flooding. My pain was only increasing as I was limping away. When I got home I called the first place and I had an appointment for the next day. Guess what - no blood clot. All is ok. I just need to elevate leg and ice it, rest being the operative word. After all that I decided I needed crutches because by this time I couldn't walk without support. My doctor wanted me to use a cane and the physio therapist wanted me to use a walker. I compromised and got crutches which I have had experience with and trust more. I could walk with support and just hang out when I got tired. Am I trying to be funny? Nope - all true. Two weeks ago I started physio, missing my own physio therapist who moved to Brandford so he and his wife could afford to buy a house. My loss is their gain because he is good. I go for physio and afterwards I can't walk at all because the pain has moved to the heel of my foot and my toes were numb. I told the therapist and then the leg was massaged upwards rather than downwards. After that the pain moved to my knee which was really bad. Then yesterday I went for physio to the same person who had recommended hospital and though I couldn't walk because of the knee pain, today is better but not by much. He gave me a lecture while lazer was used on my lower leg and then a much needed massage of the lower leg. He thought the swelling had increased since that first day when he wanted me to go to emerg. Today I recevied an email from Word On the Street and I had to let them know that it would take another month or two to be able to walk without crutches. Since it also appeared to be a deadline at noon, I was permitted to defer - thankfully. I won't be losing all the money I paid to be there - it will be deferred as payment for next year. Though I shall miss not being there, I can now relax with something less to think about getting to. I took a month off work and am slowly easing myself to seeing existing clients on line. I had to cancel for a month because I couldn't sit for 50 minutes. Today I managed to sit long enough in the backyard to drink my coffee. I never thought sitting in the backyard would be a big deal. What did I learn from all this? There is no way I am going to an emergency room again unless it is on a stretcher. We definitely have a problem Houston. I remember years ago a person died in the emergency room in New York City. I thought it was unbelievable at the time. I can easily see that happening in Toronto before something is done. Emergency should be just for emergency. Also, if you go to a walk-in clinic now when you have a physician, your physician is penalized. We need to make things better here. Another thing I have experienced is the kindness of strangers. So many people have asked if they can help. One neighbour brought me food for a week and she has cancer and is undergoing chemo. My next door neighbour has been taking the trash in and out for me. I have hired a refugee to help with household chores. I thought I was doing her a favour when I hired her, but boy did that get reversed quickly. People are always trying to help me and the jokes are endless. I didn't know I wasn't 16 years old anymore and shouldn't be climbing ropes - that from my garbage man. There was one woman who approached me in the parking lot near my car. I was on alert due to the recent distraction theft. She told me that she felt bad for me and she admired my independance. She said she was still suffering pain from a knee surgery two years ago. Men have approached me asking me if they can help and I always say no thank you and wonder if they want to rob me or help? I was even grateful that when I went to get cash at the bank instant teller that I wasn't robbed by the two men inside and said so to the third man with a radiant man who opened the door for me from the outside. So for you, who were looking forward to seeing me as much as I was to see you at Word on The Street, I am afraid I have to skip it this year. I will be at the legion though for their Christmas sale in December. I'll give you more info on that later. May I ask you to say a prayer for me? I am a big sucky baby.