Knees

I was standing at the kitchen table chopping potatoes, preparing supper. Talk about ignoble ways to get injured. The stupidity of it all boggles the mind.

It took nothing more than turning, plate in hand, to dump the newly chopped potatoes into the skillet on the stove. I bumped the chair, my chair at the table, with my knee. Next thing I knew my world had narrowed to a single point of light focused on the chair I was now bracing my hands against as my peripheral vision went black. The plate, knife, and potatoes had clattered to the ground. Potatoes scattered across the floor. The plate slowly spinning to a stop the way a penny does as it falls. Got to love those Correlle wear dishes. It didn’t break.

Fully focused on the one spot of light in my world I was vaguely aware of my dog panicking as she darted in circles around me. I reached down to feel my knee. Sure enough. It had done it again.

When I bumped the chair my knee cap slid sideways. It was now sitting off to the outside of the knee. I would have to put it back.

The putting back part always makes me sick to my stomach. It’s worse than the dislocating itself.

Blindly I groped around. Gagging I recognized the joint I could feel as the knee joint. That isn’t something you are supposed to be able to feel. The front of the knee should not be flat. Continuing my blind exploration I found the knee cap. Gave a gentle pull. Nothing. It was locked into place. My stomach was roiling at this point, as it is again now just thinking about it. My knee the single thing I was aware of in the world. Vision completely gone as I focused. Usually it popped right back in. What would I do if it didn’t?

I straightened the leg a little. Or did something. I moved the leg. At this point who even knows what is going on besides the knee cap finally snapping back into place. I stood there one legged sobbing for a moment. The stove was turned on. The floor was littered with potatoes. I was not going to be finishing supper any tie soon. I hobbled one legged to the stove. Shut it off. Grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer. Made it far enough out of the kitchen to reach carpet and collapsed to the floor.

Eventually I texted my husband. He would have to bring the kids home from school. I was not getting up in a few minutes to drive to the bus stop. Then I stayed right there on the floor (Which I am saying in my head as words to the Wolf Creek Pass song, you have to sing it with me. Might have even felt kind of like a plum) My dog was still in panic mode. All hundred pounds of her needed comforting after her terrible experience. She had to lay right on top of me.

Husband and children finally got home. My daughter had googled dislocated knee, because she wanted to see what it looked like. I had to look to, to make sure she found knee cap, not the knee itself. She was pleasantly disgusted. My son watched a video about it. Then searched for exercises that could be done to strengthen the exact muscles that were talked about in the video. He was slightly more useful than she was. It turned into a very enjoyable evening.

This is a common occurrence for me. A wonderful inheritance from my father. It just isn’t usually quite so dramatic. My husband says it is not going to happen again. If it does this in a pen of cattle it could be dangerous. While I agree and appreciate his concern I don’t think there’s any real hope of putting a stop to it. Just need to do those exercises my son found. It’s a bit sore still but nothing bad. Up and going like usual. Just climbing in and out of the feed truck a bit slower.

No pictures because I never am able to remember to grab my camera before I get the knee cap pushed back into place 😉