I would like to begin by saying a big thank you to my
brother – who, even after all these years continues to delight in finding ways
to embarrass his sister. No I didn’t
know he was taking the photo, yes it was a windy day, as usual I am wearing the
dog’s lead and carrying her tennis ball (surely that is her job?), and I didn’t
spot the ‘Access Handicapes’ sign until later!
So a brief update on my foot. That photo was taken one week ago and as you
can see, I could manage stairs and get around without the crutches. Today (4 weeks after the accident) I can at
last wear proper shoes again and just need one crutch if I am on stairs or
uneven ground. It has been a very
frustrating month – no driving, missing several telephone calls (as I could not
run to answer the phone), but at least for me it is temporary and I can see an
end in sight. It has made me much more
aware of how difficult life must be if you have a permanent handicap. La Poste in my village is a particular case
in point; it has recently been completely renovated and they have installed a
long and winding ramp for wheelchair access.
Once you get to the front door there is a button and a notice which
informs you that to gain entry you need to ring the buzzer and pull the door
towards you at the same time. Difficult
enough when you are on crutches but completely impossible if you were in a
wheelchair!
But for me I can see an end in sight – particularly after
something which happened today. We were
in the town of Amelie-les-Bains (a thermal spring resort where many old people
go to ‘take the waters’) and I certainly didn’t feel out of place hobbling
around on my crutch. We were there to
view a new property for sale and in fact the 90 year old owner was more speedy
on her crutches than I was! After the visit
we were walking back to the car when an old man in a café started chatting and
he asked me what was wrong with my foot.
He then asked me to have confidence in him and gestured for me to put my
foot on his lap. He waved his hands over the affected area and asked me if I
could feel anything. Apart from
‘embarrassment’ I have to admit I could feel a certain coolness and it was as
if the pain was being sent away and he said he practiced ‘biomagnetic healing’.
Despite the fact that my partner has not stopped laughing and muttering things
about ‘old men and women in short skirts’ I actually feel it might have worked! Watch this space – you may yet see me on
Strictly come Dancing!
