(The dune path picture is wildly irrelevant which is why I chose it.)


...Past as in mostly Wednesday through today.

I think I covered the earlier part of the week with my most recent three posts or so.

Early in the week--I've forgotten which day now--I was walking down my steps out of the apartment and this time I did something to my left Achilles tendon. Regulars may remember that I did something to the "outside" part of my left knee a couple of months ago. That was one of the two reasons that I ended up in physical therapy for four weeks. The neck and upper back part of the reason for physical therapy improved. The knee didn't.

This ankle thing started as abruptly as the knee thing did and in essentially the same way. I took a step down from the previous step, leading with my left foot. The next thing I knew my left ankle hurt. I don't suppose it makes any difference but I wonder if I could train myself too hold on to the right railing and lead with my right foot. (I'm left-handed so that goes against my natural impulses.)


Wednesday was labyrinth day of course. Before going to 1st and Central Presbyterian Church to give C a break, I had to stop at the Post Office and the bank. These are actually next to each other in Wilmington on Delaware Avenue, so that's very helpful. After leaving the bank, it's just a few blocks walk to the church where the labyrinth is set up every Wednesday. On Wednesday, that was a few blocks I did not want to negotiate--not that I had a choice. For the last few weeks or maybe even over a month now, I've experienced low level pain walking for even a relatively short distance (like up to the bus stop  or back).

By the time I get to the bus, get off & run one or two minor errands in Wilm, and then walk from the location of the last errand to the church, I'm no longer in any shape to walk the labyrinth. Now, I don't walk the labyrinth as soon as I arrive but wait and do it last. In between, I do very little but sit and maybe check on the candles in the labyrinth room. The brief rest doesn't help much.
Not unlike about a year ago or so, when I was having trouble with my back, I find that I'm in just enough pain when I walk that I can't concentrate enough to meditate while walking. Well, I -can- pray that the pain will stop but petitionary prayer isn't the typical way of using a labyrinth walk. I suspect God's answer to that particular prayer amounts to "Stop walking, sweetie, and the pain will go away."

Going on the logic of this anyway, I've been using the finger labyrinths on Wednesday after an attempt at walking the canvas labyrinth first. (I can't focus during that one attempt.) Since I have both a finger labyrinth and a tiny stylus labyrinth at home, it's a little hard to figure out why I go up on Wednesdays. That's a joke, really. I go up to VOLUNTEER my time, as much as to take advantage of walking the labyrinth when I can. Anyway, as long as I'm having physical problems like this, I'm thinking that I would be better off going up just to volunteer on Wednesdays and then leaving early rather attempting to walk.

So that was Wednesday.

Thursday, I went into the rental office and reminded her that my mailbox door was still broken. And then repeatedly and firmly reminding her that yes she had already said THAT last month, and no it's been broken for TWO MONTHs not a few weeks, that for all I know something has been stolen from it--like a reimbursement check from Medicare--and that the Federal Govt does kind of support privacy and security of our mail.

After that, I went up to Wilmington to my internist. The appointment was made at least six weeks ago --long before I finished physical therapy and obviously long-long before I hurt my Achilles tendon. The timing of the appointment was ripe for the latter however; so instead of reporting on how my neck and knee were both better, I reported that the neck was much better but not the knee. And--guess what?-- I had a new injury to report. In exchange, the doctor pointed out that my left ankle and the lower part of my leg were swollen. Funny thing was I hadn't noticed.

Bottom line is that for this kind of injury, the procedure is immobilization not physical therapy. He gave me a prescription slip. After a false start or two on the phone, I now have an appointment to be fitted for a "boot" that will hold my tendon rigid for a few weeks so that it can heal. Thanks to needing to dovetail Paratransit with the specialists' schedules, I couldn't get an appointment for the place the internist recommended for two weeks. Fortunately someone in the internist's office had provided a second location--out near Omega which is near Christiana Hospital. I was able to make an appointment with them for this coming Thursday instead of a week later at the other place.

Now I'm wondering how much this boot thingie costs and what part Medicare and Blue Cross (secondary) will pay out of the total cost. None of us, of course, ever needs additional expenses medical or otherwise; however, I think it's ironic that this sudden expense should turn up while trying to figure out how best to pay for Earthbow editing and also only a day after finding out I didn't get the grant.

Today, I should sit here are try to edit Earthbow, beginning with chapter 7. (I sent The Finishers chapters 4-6 yesterday). I really will try. I'm not looking forward to it since I already know I have a problem that needs fixing in chapter 7. In fact, I asked JR if I could submit this section to WR for our June meeting. Tomorrow, God willing and the creeks don't rise, KB is taking me to the foodstore. (I'm sure I'll have great funny hobbling around.) Sunday is one of our WR "Write-Ins" or "Get Out and Writes" or--for me-- welcome peer pressure to edit chapter 7.  ;-P

Monday is the first Monday of June and therefore will be Contemplative Prayer at Jesus House. Probably about Monday or Tuesday, I'll need to go down to Pathmark Foodstore and get prescriptions. I -must- remember to call them beforehand. The pharmacist has been gettng persnikety about me arriving unexpectedly and asking from something they don't keep in stock. Like Lipitor that nobody is the world takes but me.   ;-P