My wife and I live in the high Rocky Mountains, at about nine thousand feet up. That means that winter can be severe with five or six feet of snow at a dump. It makes normal living harder. So, to escape the snow and ice we go two hundred miles south/east to Denver. There we have 630 square feet in a two-room town house to avoid all that bad weather underfoot.
Last week it had been cold in Denver (not always the case) leaving patches of snow and ice. When snow began to fall I thought I’d beat the worst of it by going on my regular walk about. Three quarters of my way I slipped on ice, fell, and—I could barely walk.
I had my cell-phone with me, called home, and my wife gathered me up.
Doctor/emergency room followed where I learned I had given myself a hair-line hip fracture.
Good news—no surgery. No pain unless I put pressure on my left leg. Which I don’t.
Not such good news, I was shipped off to a rehab hospital. The hip will heal itself, but I have to learn how to get about. I shall become the hop-scotch king of the world. Or maybe move into the world of hip-hop.
And what—in my case—does rehab mean? It’s learning to connect my mind with muscles that I don’t normally use. That way, for instance, I can get out of bed. Or get into it. In new ways. It’s actually a very curious process, probably something like how an infant learns to be fully human.
But aside from physical therapy sessions I’m confined to a hospital bed. What does a writer do when confined to bed? This one puts his lap-top on his lap and writes. There are a couple of projects underway, and I work on them. I do wonder how it influences the text. No idea.
I also read a lot.
Call family and friends.
Try to be cheerful, upbeat, not complaining. Sort of.
But yesterday I realized that at some point my watch had stopped running. Perfect metaphor.
I’m rewinding it.
23 thoughts on “A writer in rehab”
Prayers for a speedy and total recovery. So sorry this happened to you.
Wishing you a rapid and complete recovery!
I have been thinking of you lately, remembering your writing encouragement (which has meant so much) and your Cincinnati visit when my girls were little! I am thinking of you in this rewinding time and sending healing prayers! Gerry
Keep in touch.
I hope your healing process goes well..
Avi–sorry to read of your accident. Don’t know if you remember but, after I retired from teaching (final years I was an elem. school librarian in Jeffco), I opened a children’s bookstore in Lakewood. It was on So Wadsworth near Jewell., I called it Bo Peep Books. (My maiden name is Lamb). I owned it for 15 years. You and crossed paths many times. I often sold your books at various locations, conferences, schools where you were speaking.
Hopefully you can use your recovery time to write another novel or two!!
Take care!
Shirley Sternola
Wishing you a quick recovery, lessons learned and time to enjoy your writing life albeit in a different location. Falling on the ice and snow is such a worry. We live here in the snowbelt by Lake Ontario.
Bless you my dear man. Hip-hop and hop scotch, you make me smile. I’m at home with my mom who just had her hip replaced. Every time she gets up, she gets better at it. May it be the same with you 🙂
Hope you recover quickly! Do that rehab work, it will pay off. ❤️
Hey Avi, YES! Rewind that watch, and it will step by step, spring forward and get you back on your roll to enable you to do what you do so well. Keep plugging away and thanks for sharing this important kind of story with us. It affects so many people in similar ways this time of year. I wish you a safe, speedy, and complete recovery.
Best wishes,
Sharon O. Blumberg
I am so sad to hear about your accident. We are of a similar age so… relate much?! I am happy to see that you remain in good spirits and continue to write. You have and always will be one of my favorite authors. I am a school librarian and some of my students have had the privilege of hearing you speak over the years. You have inspired so many to take up the pen and follow in your footsteps. And your books are well-loved. May your recovery be speedy!
Wishing you good healing! Glad you’re rewinding the watch.
So sorry you had to go through this. So glad you are going to recover. My husband had much the same experience here in the mountains of central New Mexico, except we are too remote to have cell phone coverage so he had to drag himself the 1/4 mile home. He, too, is recovering. Wishing both of you well.
Dear Avi,
Please do get well! I am sorry this has happened to you. I am sure you will have more stories to tell from this adventure or it will spark new ideas! Prayers for 100% healing- physically, mentally and spiritually! Prayers to your wife too as she tends to you and all that your homestead requires.
Dear Avi,
Heal well and mend well. I vote for the Avi-hip-hop!
Sincerely,
Robin
P.S. I loved the picture of you and your wife in a previous blog.
Thanks for sharing this, Avi! So sorry this is part of your “story”. I’m impressed with your ability to make lemonade from lemons…and picture you writing at your new “lap desk”. I think you’re right that some new material may come from this experience. Dubbing you our new “Hopscotch King”. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Thank you all for your kind words. Home on Tuesday!
Dear Avi,
I’ll let you borrow my Kahtoola MICROspikes the next time you want to go for that kind of icy and dicey walk. Sorry to hear about all of this, but I am glad to know you’re still in your usual good spirits. Heal well, my friend!
-Jesper
Thanks for all your kind comments. They help mend more than the hip.
Loving wishes to each.
So sad to read this, but as I was, I thought of my ever optimistic grandfather. What would he have said about this situation? Hmmm! While your situation is annoying and inconvenient, it gave you more time to write, with maybe different distractions, but useful ones — and you weren’t going anywhere! Perhaps in the future, you will need details for a character needing to connect brain with muscle or how someone who has had an accident needs to adapt, or even the workings of a rehab facility. Would it have been simpler to just research, sure, but you have first-hand experience which involves all the senses. Anyway, speedy recovery and I hope you are pampered well!
I’m sorry to hear this. I hope you are able to find a bit of pleasure and respite in this unchosen circumstance.
It was hard to hear about your fall. Hoping that Linda’s care and your own resilience gets you back on your feet very soon. Looking forward to reading your next blog that shows you feeling better.
Wishing you excellent progress in recovery and for you good times writing and reading.
Just returned to read about your fall after reading your latest blog. Careful out there on the ice. Glad you are not in pain. Hope you heal quickly. I have an excruciating pain on my hip and I did not even fall. Going to the doctor today to find out what is causing it Get well soon!