Getting Around on Mr. Ed

I decided to name my knee walker "Mr. Ed." He isn't a talking horse, but he is a horse of sorts and an odd one at that, so the the name somehow fits him. The first video is getting down the stairs and the second is getting down the street. I'm very blessed to have Mr. Ed because God got him here to Budapest under some remarkable circumstances.

Life Without Legs!

I have been blessed so many ways since I broke my ankle. Good friends have wheeled me to lunch, brought meals, and come by for visits. As the Hungarians say, "In every bad situation there is some good."

Doin the "Butt Walk"

I discovered yesterday on my first outing (since getting my cast) that sliding up and down the stairs on my rear end was the most efficient, least exhausting, least damaging (to my shoulders) way of getting in and out of our flat into the wheel chair.

My doctor's appointment went fine...I haven't displaced the fracture this last week and I will actually be able to remove the plaster cast (it is a half cast held on with an ace bandage) to clean my leg! Hooray for small pleasures! He will wait to put the fiber glass cast on until May 4th since we will be traveling to Sweden May 21st and I will need the extra strength of that cast.

I asked Michael if we could take the tram back from the doctor's appointment instead of taking a taxi and he said I shouldn't worry about the cost. I said I wasn't worried about the cost--I just wanted to get out in the city after being in the flat for 7 days straight.


Because the doctor's office is close to a stop for one of the newer trams with wheel chair access, we rode home on it, and I enjoyed it so much! I love this city and I will hate to leave it. So many interesting people and sites, and this particular tram took us twice across the Danube on our ride. We have had our difficulties and made some sacrifices* to live her these last four years, but I often wonder what we did to deserve such a wonderful experience in life as living in this wonderful, interesting city!

(* of course our greatest sacrifice has been being away from our family.)

My View of the World, but Not My World View

I remember when my friend Cheryl Hoke sprained her ankle a month before she had to leave Budapest. I felt sorry for her trying to get all their moving duties done while hobbling about on crutches.

Yesterday (Tax Day) while going down some cement stairs, I also sprained one of my ankles. But, that's actually the good news...because I broke the other ankle.

Fortunately, it's not a displaced fracture which would have required surgery, but it still could be a long, slow recovery. I'm in a plaster cast for a week until the swelling goes down, then a fiber glass (non-walking) cast for 4-6 weeks and then in one of the cute braces I'm already wearing on my "good ankle" in the picture above.

The fact that my "good" ankle is sprained presents some unique obstacles especially because we live on the second floor and the staircase up contains 30 steps that wind and narrow in places. (See picture below) Michael actually carried me on his back up and down those stairs twice yesterday so I could get to a taxi! And my ankle hurt so badly, I let him!! I guarantee that I won't be leaving the flat again until next week when I go back to the doctor. I can't really use crutches until the sprain heals.

I'm also required to give myself a shot in the stomach each day to prevent blood clots since I'm going to be so sedentary. I got my first in the doctors office this evening, but from now on Michael will be giving them to me.

And, by the way, I'm supposed to be preparing for a move, and we have non-refundable tickets to Sweden in May and Croatia in June! NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN CHRIST!

While my crippled legs (as pictured above) will be my view of the world for some weeks to come, I'm glad that my world view can be found in Romans 5:1-5 which says that situations like this are not useless. Instead, they provide me with another opportunity to produce perseverance, character and hope in my faith in Christ. Please pray that I maintain that world view as the days of immobility wear on. Pray also for rapid healing of both ankles. Thanks!!