After the Fall: Part 2

May 8, 2006 at 6:18 AM

It’s been one week since I fell, sprained my ankle and pulled a ligament. My healing is not going well. The swelling has increased quite a bit, and I’ve got plantar fascitis and various muscle cramps and pain. I’m going to see my doctor later this week. I have had many, many falls and injuries on my other ankle, and I had to have surgery to correct the problem. I have congenitally weak joints (thanks, Dad.) I can’t even sit up in a chair much. I sit on the sofa with my legs up on the sofa. My asthma and allergies are very bad, too, so I’m very tired and I sleep a lot. I haven’t even kept up with reading about my friends on v.com! I miss everyone. Being a part of this community means so much to me.

I live alone, and I have no family or significant other to help me. I hope that those of you with support communities appreciate them. My students and their parents have been helping me by going to the grocery store, dumping out my garbage, and picking up my mail. I truly appreciate everyone’s help.

Fortunately, I can play my violin. Yay! The times I have fallen and injured my wrists I couldn’t do that, and that made my quality of life worse. I’m in a lot of pain now, and my best painkiller has been my portable CD player. Music has been my salvation so many times. When I’m tense or depressed, I get solace and help from music. I’m never tempted to turn to alcohol or drugs for escapism.

I’m using my inability to get around as a time to do some reading. I’m reading Isaac Stern’s autobiography, My First Seventy-Nine Years, and it is very good. Next in line are The Autobiography of Johnny Cash and Heifetz As I Knew Him.

I’m still teaching since I do that in my own home. I always enjoy that. Giving a first lesson to a beginner is especially fun. I get excited about helping people start on something so special. A few days ago I gave a five year old his first lesson. His parents told me that he is very excited about learning to play the violin. The kid is very smart and articulate, and he knows a lot for someone his age. He knew the names of a lot of the parts of the violin because he read about them. I asked him why he wanted to learn to play the violin, and he said, “I love to listen to music, and the violin makes the prettiest sound of all the instruments.” He got that one right. His father brought him to the lesson, and it was wonderful to see the two of them interact. I could see a lot of love there. His father took some photos of the boy while I was teaching him. It’s a major life event, and I love being part of it.

When can I stand up, take a shower, wash my hair, and go back to the gym for a workout?

After the Fall: Part 2

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