One month. That’s how long it took me to fall down the stairs of our new house. I was walking from the top floor down with my daughter to get her ready for school, when I slipped and went down, one leg went out straight while the other bent under me and I bounced down a few wooden steps on my shin. I stopped myself and did everything I could to keep from pulling her down with me. The damage to my legs took weeks to heal with my husband begging me to go to the emergency room and me refusing time and again. The following week our Aunt helped me put skid tape on each individual step.
When we started building this house I speculated that I would fall down the stairs fairly quickly. I don’t know why I have such an issue with them but if things keep going the way they are I have a feeling my dear husband will install a some kind of harness system or worse, an electric chair! When I was in college I fell down our carpeted stairs so often that my roommate stopped checking on me! I always blamed the carpet but now with hard wood, I think it may be worse!
In our previous house there was only one set of carpeted stairs, that I didn’t use as much since our room was on the ground floor. I was always good at finding other things to trip and slip and fall over. I miss my sweet neighbor there who was always good about coming over to take care of me or the kids when I would have an accident!
For two months I have been careful. Until one evening last week I went downstairs to the basement and at the last three steps I turned to call something up the stairs while also reaching for the light switch and again, I tumbled. This time the opposite leg getting injured. Instead of my knee bending under, my foot rocked forward and my entire weight rolled over my small toes on one foot.
Like I always do when I get hurt, I try to act like everything is fine. I try desperately to keep my kids from knowing I am in pain. For a week I have limped around sure I broke my toe and saying there was nothing that could be done for a broken toe.

There is a great system here in Germany using an app where you can text with your doctor and I have mine on speed dial at this point! She’s great and is always very responsive. When I started to get concerned about the swelling she sent me for an x-ray and referred me to an orthopedic doctor. The D4/D5 metatarsals for sure have a fracture.

While meeting today with the new orthopedist only 800 meters from our new house, and getting a new x-ray, we found that there is indeed fracture AND my second to smallest toe is also broken. He gave me a prescription for a great new expensive shoe and taped my toe to support it. I will wear this for the next three weeks so at least that ought to keep me from falling over myself.

On another note, my silence lately in posting to this blog has been for a number of reasons; the move, the holidays and the injuries at the top of the list. I’m finding I feel like I have more time and more to say and hope to put up more posts soon! Chronicling the move and buying a house here in Germany is at the top of my list.