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Some of our blessings. Caution: Lift with care. |
I’ve been fairly active all my life.
And I have the scars to prove it.
I had all the usual bumps and bruises learning to walk as a baby.
Climbed and fell off of numerous fences, buildings, and assorted furniture.
Got trampled by an angry mama cow in the barnyard and got a flattened right boot.
Tried to fly using mom’s circular clothesline and almost bit my tongue right through.
Took a high-flier off my brother’s horse and landed on my face, resulting in impressive scratches and bruises.
Got a faceful of hoof from the same horse moments later.
Had an altercation with the arm of the armchair in my parents’ front room which resulted in one remarkable eyebrow.
Tore a twenty-two-inch groove in my leg from ankle to thigh, when I fell headfirst over the barbed-wire fence I was trying to cross.
Nearly lost my right hand in a cattle headgate.
Put all of my lower teeth through my lip when I got head-butted by an angry mama cow whose calf I was sitting on at the time.
And these were just injuries incurred in the course of growing up on a ranch.
I also sprained each ankle numerous times playing basketball, volleyball or baseball.
Sprained every single finger at least once – ditto.
Broke a wrist doing a celebratory leap.
Wrecked a knee running marathons.
Wrenched shoulders.
Sprained backs.
Twisted necks.
My purpose in telling you all of this is not so you will think I’m tough.
Or superwoman.
But because I don’t want you to think I give up easily.
That I can take pain and carry on.
But one day, not all that long ago, I developed a new injury.
Something I’d never had before.
And I really struggled with it.
I went to the doctor complaining of pain in my elbow.
You heard me correctly.
My elbow.
She examined the offending joint. Worked it around. Hemmed and hawed. “You have tennis elbow,” she said decisively, moments later.
“Tennis elbow? How on earth did I get that?!” Since the knee injury, my sports participation has been strictly limited to walking, laps of the pool.
And bike rides.
I’ve never even picked up a tennis racket.
“Well . . . golf elbow, then.”
Golf?! “Umm, that’s a game, right?”
She stared at me. “Well, what activities do you do?” she asked.
I frowned. “Walk. Swim. Bike. Play with my grandkids.”
Her eyes sharpened. “Grandkids?”
I nodded.
She smiled. “Do you lift said grandkids?”
I scratched my head. “Ye-es,” I said slowly.
“A lot?”
“Well, two of them live with me and one I babysit every day.”
She nodded, once more crisply confident. “That’s it, then.”
“What?” I was confused.
“I’m sure that the pain in your elbow can be directly attributed to the constant lifting of small bodies.” (Doctors talk like that . . .)
“I have . . . toddler elbow?”
She smiled. “In a word.”
Huh.
It’ll never be discussed in ‘Sports Illustrated’.
Never be the topic of concern for professional athletes.
But it’s real.
Toddler elbow.
To be found at many grandparents’ houses near you.
You heard it here first.
Toddler elbow, we've never had, but Hubby's had Toddler wrists several times. Thanks for this diagnosis from afar. :D
ReplyDeleteOooh . . .. Toddler wrists! Very, very similar! And equally painful!
DeleteToddler elbow ... sounds right! I've had something similar I call grocery elbow, which results from lifting bags of groceries in and out of the trunk of the car.
ReplyDeleteI think the injury in your list that most made me go "ouch" was the broken wrist caused by the celebratory leap - how many regrets did you have over that one?!
Grocery elbow? Now THAT'S a good one!
DeleteYeah, still regretting that celebratory leap! (33 years later!)
I had what a friend called "diaper bag elbow" when my son was a baby. I think toddler elbow sounds a lot more elegant!
ReplyDeleteDiaper Bag Elbow! Now that one's going in the archive!
DeleteI think I have Yorkie elbow from picking up my dog so much. Although toddler elbow sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteYorkie Elbow! Hahahahaha! Perfect!
DeleteHad Toddler Back a couple of times when i picked the kids up wrong, it's why i still have the occasional twinge.
ReplyDeleteYour toddlers need to learn to climb into your lap, then you stand with them. It will help somewhat.
I like your suggestion, Mimi! Will do!
DeleteThat's exactly what I always did after a bad back sprain many years before, had them do the climbing then I stood up.
DeleteHa, Toddler Elbow, that's a new one on me. My husband had tennis elbow, but then he was a tennis player.
ReplyDeleteOkay, we’ll allow it then...
DeleteAh, the costs of being a grandmother!
ReplyDeleteTotally worth it!
DeleteYes. You had "elbow". Ah, our age!
ReplyDelete