Thursday, November 3, 2022

Watching Where I Go vs. Watching Where I Walk

Once in a while, I write about myself on this blog. I feel that I have that right. I am, after all, the “I” in the title. But I am usually the subject of something untoward, like surgery.


Yesterday, I was emptying a large garbage bin into a dumpster behind my work-place. The ground was icy from our first serious snowfall - actually, it was frozen rain - and I was looking where to place my feet so I wouldn’t slip and break something. Thus, while looking where I was walking, I was not looking where I was going. I was struck rather forceful in the face with a corner of an open dumpster lid. Not one of your namby pamby foam-rubber dumpster lids, either.


It hurt, but I think the shock of the blow - what used to termed ‘the impact’, before people began using the word incorrectly to mean ‘effect’ - was more startling than painful. Even so, I now have a large black lump just under my left eye. It will soon become a large black patch under the same eye, and I may have a scar. For the time being, I can write that I’ve looked better. Fortunately, it doesn’t hurt a great deal, except when I forget myself and touch the tender area, such as when I am washing my face. Then I am reminded.


This year has not been good for my health. On the other hand, any problems in that respect have been either resolved satisfactorily or relatively minor. This latest injury falls into the latter category. It could have been worse, and will, of course, become better as I heal - though I heal at about a tenth of the speed at which I formerly healed when young.


Until then, I will simply tell anyone who asks about my obvious damage that it’s the result of a disagreement with someone bad-mouthing cats.


15 comments:

  1. Yow. That sounds awful. At least your eye itself wasn't hurt. In the meantime, you could always put on an eyepatch and say you've turned pirate. "Captain John of the Feline Adventure Galley!"

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  2. Oh John, how awful! What a painful thing; and thank God you didn't hurt your eye as well. I can well imagine..easily, how painful that was. I did the same with a closet door once upon a time and told everyone I was in an alley fight and to guess who won! Your choice of statement however for curious on-lookers had me rolling! PURRFECT!

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  3. John, I can relate, since I have no depth perception, and regularly slam myself into things that most people can avoid.
    One learns to laugh, despite the tears of pain, and hope no spectacles or teeth were broken on impact.
    Just finished a book, taking place in the mid-1700's, where leeches were applied to such injuries as yours.
    Good thing it's 2022, amIright?

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  4. Boy do I understand that one. I popped around a building once right into the sharp corner of a window air conditioner, the wound needed 8 stitches. Take care.

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  5. Crikey, you could have taken out your eye!!! I'm glad you didn't! I did something similar a few years ago, only on a pipe; painful, massive bruise and darned lucky I just missed my own eye. I'm wishing you speedy healing!!

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  6. Ouch!! As the saying goes, "I feel 'ya!" I did something similar several weeks ago - I was going for a walk, and the pavement was uneven and I tripped. My glasses took the worst of the fall, but I still had a black eye. If you do choose to blame your injury on a disagreement, you could always use the old saying, "You should see what the other guy looked like!" At the risk of sounding like Nancy Nurse, apply ice and take some Tylenol for the pain. And, of course, be careful - we're not getting any younger, you know! :-)

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  7. Glad you were not seriously hurt ! I got a black eye one night as I was in bed and my PTSD kitty was asleep on my chest. One of the other cats jumpoed on the bed, startling her, and she gave a mighty paw whap which missed my eye but hit just below it. Next day several people asked how I got a black eye.

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  8. Goodness John, I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was. I had visions of you looking down and taking the brunt on the back of your head.
    Wishing you a speedy recovery.
    Good thing the weekend is coming up - I'm sure the cats haven't noticed. :)

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  9. OUCH!
    Glad your eye itself is OK, but you will wear that badge for quite a while...
    I think with peeps walking around looking at their smart phones the ER's must have plenty of stories to relate about what happens when you don't watch where you are going...

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  10. So glad you could see well enough to write this post. But you are so fortunate it did not hit your eyeball. I hope it soon heals and that now when you take a step you will look up before you take the next step. Take care of yourself the kitty cats are depending on you.

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  11. Oh dear! That sounds painful even though you say not! Have you had a Dr look at it since it's so close to your eye? I agree with Roberta, put ice on it for the swelling. It really helps.

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  12. and I LOVE that picture you posted up there!

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  13. As I age the more I am aware of my own fragility. It took me two years to fully recover from falling down while working outside onto my bum. It caused me to have back troubles for that whole time. It was during covid so I never sought medical help, I figured it would heal, and it did, but oh my it was painful. We all try to be careful but accidents just happen. Take good care!

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  14. That sounds very painful, but I am glad you didn't damage your eye.

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