This Has Been A Public Service Announcement…..

This is really not a public service announcement but I feel that I should preface my post with that statement.

Why?

Because I want to talk to you about your basket or kit of first aid equipment and medication.

You see, last week, I found myself in a predicament of sorts.

Yes, I know I have been in predicaments many times before, but this time I really outdid myself, soooo I have a story to tell.

As many of you know, I have been painting the kitchen. living room. dining room and kitchen nook…they are all one big giant room so you really can’t just paint one of them.

AND I have been painting the dark stained woodwork…WHITE!

Yikes!  I know some people will cringe at the thought of taking beautiful stained wood and painting it.

But I digress a bit.

The Captain and I have this huge liquor cabinet…I mean this dude is tall (a little over 6 foot) and it is about four foot wide.  I bought this large piece of furniture mostly to fill a corner space in our open living area when we first moved into this house.  It stores wine glasses etc as well as a few bottles of….adult drinks.  I tell you that to tell you this.

I was on the floor behind this large cabinet….painting

….it had only been moved out about 2 feet from the wall..I know, what was I thinking?  But it was heavy!

And I was painting the woodwork back there and I am not sure how…but somehow, I ended up from a kneeling position on both knees to a sitting position with both knees under my chin, faced with the corner of the wall in front of me and in back of me …. and the cabinet pressing in on one side…and the gallon paint can, glass of water and my cell phone on the floor close by.

Please don’t ask me to explain because I am not sure exactly what happened or how it happened….but the next thing I knew was, I heard and felt a pop in my left knee and I couldn’t move.

I was stuck.

And the pain in my left knee was excruciating!

A normal person, who has not had a torn meniscus and knee surgery on their right leg and arthritis in both knee joints could most likely have just popped up out of that position.

But I was stuck.

Being the methodical person that I am…I assessed the situation.

• First the Captain was flying and would not be home for 3 days. Check!
• Second, Jesse James my little pom had proven many times before that he was no “Lassie”.  I knew he could not go for help! Check!
• Third, I remained calm, knowing I had my cell phone within reach and could call the fire department for a rescue, …embarrassing as that would be.
• But fourth….I looked down at my painting attire.  I had on a large oversized black T-Shirt splattered with paint that said Heroes Wanted…apply here in lime green lettering. (I kid you not) and….well, well…oh golly, I am embarrassed to say this, but only my underwear. Remember, I told you the T-Shirt was extra large, it covered my bum completely! And I was not expecting company, just a day of painting.

Thoughts raced through my head….knowing full well that fireman and paramedics had most likely seen worse, Still, I quickly pushed a rescue from public servants to the bottom of my methodical list….and worked at trying to unwind myself from this silly predicament. 

Finally, somehow I managed to get my one good leg/knee sorta stretched out (actually it is the one I had surgery on and in reality it is not “good”)…but at this moment it was the better of the two legs. ….but the other knee would not move one way or another….without sending out sharp-shooting-stabs-with-a-knife-kind-of-pain. 

Slowly, I inched my way backwards toward open territory, scooting on my bum, left leg still bent like a grasshopper and using my good leg for a pusher/off-er….like Katherine Hepburn in the movie, African Queen, used a long wooden pole to help move the boat through the muddy reeds. 

Sighing heavily, I rested on my back on the floor with one leg stretched out and the other knee throbbing in pain….and said a little prayer.

I wiggled toes and feet to assure nothing was broken….but I still could not move my bent knee.

Luckily, I had the ladder close by…you see, I was prepared for such a situation.

I was in Girl Scouts! So I scooted on my bum over to the ladder.  I was getting good at this although I did not see myself using this mode of transportation for the rest of my life.

So I thought I could work my way up the ladder with my hands, keeping my one leg bent (I couldn’t straighten it if I wanted to) and use my good leg for balance.

AND it worked. 

Once I reached a standing position, I again tried to straighten my bent knee, and although there was pain, I was able to finally get both legs on the floor.

Whoopee!!!  Now, all I had to do was get to the freezer for the ice paks as my knee was swelling like a balloon.

AND to our medical basket for the heating pad and Ibuprofen.

I thanked my efficient self for hanging two walking canes near the garage door, how handy was that?

The Ice Paks were in the freezer in a drawer all their own.  how handy was that?

Now on to the Medicine basket in the Master Bathroom linen closet.

I reached for the basket and grabbed the Ibuprofen and began the search for the heating pad.

It was not where I usually kept it and I quit patting myself on the back for having everything handy.

It took a bit of searching while balancing on a cane but eventually I found it in another basket on a higher shelf….and I made a resolution that I would re-organize the medical basket as soon as I was on the mend.  I also noticed out dated medications and an empty band aid container.

Well, at least I had not cut myself, but it was obvious my medicine basket was in need of updating.

So my question to you my dear readers.

Have you updated your first aid kit or medicine basket recently or have you been like me and have a basket full of empty band aid containers and/or unraveled gauze and a stray heating pad? 

The American Red Cross recommends you check your kit and replace perishable stock every six months. http://www.redcross.org/

Oh, I am walking a little slow but putting hot and cold compresses on and the doctor said take two ibuprofen and see him tomorrow.

Well, that is not quite accurate…I couldn’t get in to see him for a week.  Appointment is Tuesday!  I am not too excited about his prognosis.  It will most likely be the same as the other knee.  We shall see how things go.  

Have a great beginning to your week!