By Aaron Goldsmith
Founder and President
Transfer Master
Last Sunday I attended a community picnic. The day started with kids running all over the place and the great smell of hot dogs and burgers barbecuing away! At the end of this picnic, the rain started to fall..and shortly I took a fall on the slippery wet grass! I hear a pop and I didn't want to think the worst.. I tried to stand and I knew the day was starting all over again. A couple of friends of mine came to my rescue and heard me pronounce that most unpleasant declaration. "I think its broken". They tried to help me back to a vehicle but there was no way I could bear any weight on the injured leg. A smart thinking person grabbed a folding chair and the next thing I knew was that I was riding high and the center of attention, perhaps "Dufus of the Day". Would have preferred to have walked out of there myself but I had no option.
One fellow pulled up his truck and transported me back to my house. My son arrived and we loaded into another truck for a trip to the hospital. Since there was very little swelling I thought that perhaps it was only a nasty sprain. I had expected my leg to swell out like one of the "Hulk's" legs if it was truly broken.
A few minutes in the hospital and I was shuttled off to the X Ray department, within 15 minutes all doubts were quashed. I snapped the tibia bone clean off of my ankle, they would need to do surgery and add a metal plate with screws, (the surgeon sounded like he worked part-time at Home Depot). I also understood that I had months of healing ahead of me.
I was sent home with a temporary cast and a pocketful of Percocets, as I was rolled to the exit, the nurse clearly and repeatedly instructed me to keep off my feet and to elevate the broken leg.
Being the President of Transfer Master definitely has some benefits for this predicament. I called my son and told him to drag out the prototype "tilt in space" recliner. It has three lifting motors, six massage motors and a heat bar for the lower back. For the last week, that was my new day home. At night I went to bed in one of our Kodiak Adjustable Beds and learned how to sleep while being shaped like a Pringle potato chip.
Today, the surgeon took his first look at my progress and let me know that I must be doing a good job elevating my leg because the swelling was less than normal! I was the perfect guinea pig for using the stuff that I designed. Overall I am happy with the design, but I saw many things that I could improve. Additionally, while my issues are transitory, it is good to have to experience the world the way our clients do. That's the good news.
The bad news is how crazy it is to go to the bathroom, how I have to dress up (not down) for a shower and I have had to face the great and daunting challenge of sitting down and remembering that everything I need must be very close to me. Its terrible having frequent senior moments, forgetting what I need, and having to get up and drag myself all of those extra times.
That how life is at this time from my hobbling perspective.
All the best,
Aaron
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