A slip and a fall...

Picture this: a thin stream of water from a slowly dripping showerhead rebounds off the floor of the shower and pools on the bathroom floor. A young woman, relieved to have finished a difficult project, relaxes on the couch watching a Hitchcock movie.  Onscreen Paul Newman is grappling with a German spy, fighting for his life.  The music swells to a typical Hitchock-ian crescendo as the call of nature becomes impossible to ignore.  The young girl pauses the movie, rushes to the bathroom without pausing to turn on the light and predictably slips on the puddle.  The screams begin...

Two weeks ago I was that young girl (please, I'm in pain and I'm allowed to pretend that the phrase 'young girl' still applies to me). In a completely stupid and avoidable accident I broke my femur and my pelvis, and I've been in hospital ever since.  I spent two days at the Alfred in their Emergency Department, and my advice for you is, if you have broken your femur or your pelvis, don't go to the Alfred Emergency Department. My highpoints were the total lack of doctors and buzzing the nurses only to have them come to my bed and say 'What?' or 'You right?'. Once a nurse thought my request was so inconsequential walked away while I was still talking!  After two days I was operated on and transferred to a trauma ward, where the doctors were still largely absent but the nurses were totally fantastic.  Maybe they filter all the rude ones to ED?

I am currently in rehab, trying to get back enough strength to regain my independence.  I am at Caulfield Hospital and the staff are great, but it's hard to rely on other people to do every single thing for you. I can't get myself a drink or a cardigan if I'm cold or pick up my books from the library.  Thank God for the Internet and my iPhone, because without them I would have gone crazy 13 days ago. Also, I doubly thank God for my wonderful support network, who have been fabulous to me.  My injuries mean that I can't live in my own flat for the moment, so I need to rely on the help of others to pack up my house and move, and I don't know what I would do without my friends and family.

On the plus side, I have done LOADS of knitting. I have finished two shawls and am halfway through a third.  I started a pair of socks yesterday because the shawls are moving across the needles so fast I'm worried I'll run out of things to knit!  If only I could block and photograph them as well...