Sunday, May 20, 2012

revenge of the city tree



You may recall that I've fulminated about the overgrown city trees that have spread out to shade over half our front yard. Last year I got up on the tall stepladder and pruned back what I could reach, letting much needed air and sunlight over the plum tree and the rose beds.
For Christmas I got an extendable pruning saw and shears. Aha, trees, I said, your time is coming. A couple of weeks ago I took out the branches encroaching on the power lines, and today I went after the higher branches that I couldn't reach before. I thought I'd try out the pruning saw this time.
Branches are springy and hard to saw. One sprang back on me. I sprang back with it--off the ladder.
Fortunately from only 3 or 4 steps up, because I was nervous of the ladder's stability.
I should have been worried about my own.

Well, to betray all the principles of a well-told story, I am lucky enough to only have a slightly chipped tibial plateau, rather than anything definitely crippling. I've had x-rays and a CT scan, and was sent home from the hospital about 10 pm (went in at 3:15 pm) wih a leg immobilizer, crutches, and morphine for tonight. I'm not in any particular pain, but I suppose that may change.
No weight on my right leg for a week, doctor's note for being off work. Could have been a lot worse.

Cruthes are really tiring. My respect for anyone walking with crutches has gone way up. Good thing I've been doing weights.

7 comments:

Diana Munoz Stewart said...

Sorry to hear about the injury! Hope you are up and about soon!

batgirl said...

I hope so too - crutches are hard!
(good to hear from you! - hope all is going well!)

Elizabeth (bookherder) said...

Stay horizontal and rest that knee! (This is why they make crutches painful - do you think over the centuries they couldn't have improved the design? They want you to not want to use them) Take care.

Ferret said...

Do take care. And stay away from overhanging branches. Your name is clearly on their list.

batgirl said...

Apparently they're really good exercise, though.
Crutches, not branches.

Maybe the next time I'm doing something with potential for injury and I become frustrated and tired, I'll stop first?

Terri-Lynne said...

I read about this on LJ, but--yikes! Pictures!!!! Take it easy, and stay off that leg!

batgirl said...

More pictures on Facebook, including one of the very branch, which finally gave way in a storm the next day.
Mark asked me if it should be taken in for deodand, but I think that only happens if it killed me.