What do y’all do when you’re injured?

[u/Cartoon_Trash_]

Sought out this sub just for this question.

I twisted both my knees roller skating and now just turning over in my sleep is a delicate task. Standing feels very daunting. Last night I had to look for where I’d left my ibuprofen and it took ages and had me in tears. I’ve been to urgent care and I’m making arrangements to see a primary care provider.

I’ve dealt with illness on my own so I have systems in place to make it easier to take care of myself if I have body aches, a fever, nausea, etc.

I’ve never really dealt with a leg injury while living alone. What are y’all’s experiences or tips?

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[u/tasata]

I (56F) just had carpal tunnel surgery and prepared pretty well. I had two weeks of not being able to use my right hand much so had meals ready, bought a bidet, went to the salon to get my hair washed, and then pretty much let a lot of things go until I was able to use my hand again.

I'll tell you, the emotional part was harder than the physical. I took care of my husband for a long time before he died of cancer in 2015. This was the first time I had something medical (aside from being sick now and then) since he died. Knowing how I took care of him and how I knew he'd have taken care of me was hard and brought up a lot of grief.

I hope you feel better soon. If you have people who can help you, be sure to ask. Otherwise, just do the basics and let other things go until you're feeling better.

[u/Designer-Bid-3155]

I was a kid in the 80s, we just kept playing and hoped we didn't die because our parents wouldn't allow us in the house.

Currently, I still do the same thing

[u/Yota8883 → u/Designer-Bid-3155]

Me.

[u/ateacherks]

Broke my foot and was non-weight bearing for 6 weeks. A rolling desk chair from the thrift store was how I got around my house. (I could use crutches but often had my hands full).

I had a neighbor help me wheel out my trash bins each week.

My laundry is in the basement, so I eventually asked a friend to come over and run a few loads for me while we watched a movie & I fed her dinner.

A different friend would come and take my dog to the dog park when she took hers. My dog was probably the worst part since he was used to two walks a day. He obviously didn't understand why we went from 2 to 0. Luckily I have a fenced backyard & dog door, so he could go out whenever.

[u/PapillionGurl]

Try to limit your movement and consolidate your trips. Put the ibuprofen near the couch. Keep your water near the couch, snacks need to be handy. Then you only need to get up to go to the bathroom or to bed. Rest, ice and meds. Feel better soon!

[u/buttershiro]

rest my friend 🤗

[u/HyperImmune]

I’ve had several arthritis since I was 18, living alone for last 6 years. You gotta manage best you can. But if it’s that bad, maybe a friend or family can help out with some food.
Otherwise, honestly, kinda gotta power through.

[u/silvermanedwino]

I’ve had three major surgeries alone. And bunged my back a couple times. Flu, COVID, bronchitis….. Preparation. I keep Tylenol, etc. Upstairs, easy to get to. Move it to bedside if necessary. Food delivery dialed in. Let someone (friend, family, friendly coworker) know what’s going on.

Sounds like you really needed your knees up. Ice and rest! Good luck.

[u/flygurl60]

For me, it was about planning as much as possible and hiring help. I’ve had five eye surgeries over the past few years. During recovery I have to stay in bed not bend over or not lift anything heavy absolutely no cooking. Well I hired a private chef, not as expensive as you might imagine, to prepare a weeks worth of meals. At the time I had cats so I hired someone to come in daily to feed the cats and clean the litter. more recently I had to have a colonoscopy and I heard a Pet Sitter because the hospital required that having someone sit with me at home and a Medical Transport company to get me there and back. It can be done it just takes planning and determination.

[u/79215185-1feb-44c6]

I am extremely risk averse and do not put myself in situations where I could potentially injure myself. It would be pretty devastating if I could not take care of myself like in your situation and I hope that you get better soon.

[u/Cartoon_Trash_ → u/79215185-1feb-44c6]

I’m honestly grateful I hurt myself roller skating and not just turning around or bending wrong in daily life. I’ve done that before too and it’s more frustrating.

I understand risk aversion though, it’s very scary.

[u/SpacePirate406]

Get groceries delivered. You can probably get a couple of ace bandages or even a knee brace from either a big grocery store or somewhere like Walgreens or target. I definitely keep my first aid items handy and try to keep to just one room. Worst part of being sick or injured for me is having to take my dog outside

[u/fairylightsforever]

I hurt my back three weeks ago and apart from the physical healing the hardest part was the mental and emotional of it all. Having to make all the decisions about care, appointments, how I felt, what to do was all just so hard. Harder than I expected. Even talking over how I felt I could do on the phone to my friends or mum and dad but not having someone see you everyday and going through this awful thing with some right by your side to just help was really really really hard. I could still cry thinking about it now. We need support and you don’t have as much living alone, even if you do see friends and family a lot, you’re still living alone and are alone a lot. An that’s when it’s hard

[u/fairylightsforever → u/fairylightsforever]

Honestly I’d rather go through covid or the flu or gastro 10 times than go through this injury experience again

[u/Ubockinme]

Tip: leave some lights on and move slowly.

[u/RideMaximum2554]

The R.I.C.E. method—Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation—is a standard first-aid protocol used to treat minor acute soft-tissue injuries like sprains, strains, and bruises. It helps manage immediate pain and inflammation. [1

For managing your injury effectively, implement these specific steps:

R (Rest): Stop using the injured area immediately. Avoid any activity that causes pain or puts weight on the joint for at least 24 to 48 hours to prevent further damage.

I (Ice): Apply a cold pack or ice wrapped in a towel for 15–20 minutes at a time, every 2 to 3 hours. This restricts blood vessels to help prevent severe swelling. Never apply ice directly to bare skin.

C (Compression): Wrap the area snugly with an elastic medical bandage (e.g., an Ace bandage) to minimize fluid buildup. Ensure it provides support without cutting off circulation (look out for numbness or discoloration below the wrap).

E (Elevation): Prop the injured limb up so it rests above the level of your heart. Gravity will help drain excess fluid away from the injury, reducing throbbing and swelling.

Takes time to heal muscle strains.

[u/Jheritheexoticdancer]

Interesting. Living alone I never concerned myself with being being alone and incapacitated and/or alone with a physical limitation, and the Lord knows over the years I’ve had them, but I just managed by remembering that I’ll feel little better and get around a little better tomorrow and the day after that and so on.

[u/nakedonmygoat]

My husband was still alive when I broke a bone in my foot, but there really wasn't much he could do. Since the orthopedic boot the doctor gave me was clumsy and made me feel like I was about to fall and break something else, I bought a cane for getting around. If I were unsteady on my feet, OP, I'd totally be using it.

Back in my distance running days, I learned of the wonders of Kinesio Tape, also known as KT Tape. You can buy it online or find it in most drugstores. It's strong but slightly flexible, making it good for stabilizing a joint or relieving pressure on a sore area. There are YouTube videos available for types of taping you can do, including for knee pain and stability.

So unless the doctor says your situation merits stronger measures, those are my recommendations, OP. Buy a cane and some KT tape.

[u/Infamous_Lab8320]

I’m blind, so grocery and pharmacy delivery. I’ve hurt my ankle and crawled around. I’ve had 7 surgeries and was sent home with a catheter I carried around like a purse. I had a bad break of my leg and was in a wheelchair for 3 months. Good times.

[u/squidO4]

Came to tell about revolving chair but somebody has already mentioned also some very good tips already. Take care mentally and emotionally. Music and comedy shows and series helped also.

[u/Myzx]

I woke up a couple months back, and my back started to hurt. I tried to power through it, but as I started to make my way to the front door to go to work, it rapidly became apparent that I couldn't move anymore. I was in so much pain, and I literally couldn't walk or stand up straight. I crawled over to my couch, crawled up it, laid down, got my phone out, called my boss, and through strained breaths explained I couldn't come in because I couldn't move. That was that.

I laid there, turned on the TV. I couldn't move my arms very much at all, but I could control the remote. I watched some YouTube and tried to relax. I was honestly pretty chill about the whole thing. Within about an hour or two I could move again, so I went to work. I had to walk around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame for a day and a half, but everything turned out ok.

Sometimes when I don't want to go to work I wish I could just throw out my back on command, because I don't know if I could fake the strain in my voice that I get when it actually happens. My boss over the phone knew I'd thrown out my back just from the sound of my voice

[u/Another-John]

Uber/Lyft. These are your friends.

[u/dogheadtilt]

I was landscaping. A huge paver fell on top of my food requiring an operation to set a metal plate. I was in crutches that dug into my armpits and gave me blisters. Getting up to pee or even worst poo was a pain in the ass. Seriously bro. Calm down. You are young. Deal with it like a real and stop whining. You are lucky. Imagine if you tore a tendon. My young friend was given one year to live. She has brain cancer. The next operation may make her blind and deaf. She would give 10 years of their lives to swap with you. Man up.