Bad Day, Part Two

'Kay, well, almost immediately after posting my most recent complaint, fate decided to show me that things can always get worse. As I was turning from tying off a full bag of garbage to carry it to the garage, I must have forgotten to turn my leg with my hip, because my right kneecap slid off my knee to the side, pain shot through my leg, and I went crashing down to the floor on my side.
Now, this actually is not a new experience for me: I've had weak knees all my life. The ligaments around my kneecaps are too floppy and don't hold them in place well if I turn too suddenly or sharply. I've been in physical therapy for it, and was actually advised to have surgery back in high school, but was too wussy for that. Also, it was a good excuse not to play sports. But this knee thing hasn't happened for almost three years, so I kind of thought I had finally outgrown this problem or something. However, as we all know, pregnancy causes ALL your joints to loosen, not just your hips and pelvis, so even if I had outgrown the knee problem, I guess maybe the pregnancy aggravated it again.
Anyways, as I said, it hasn't happened for awhile. This time, it hurt a lot more than I remembered- in the past I used to shake it off and would be back on my feet in an hour. Today it is over twenty-four hours since I fell, and I still cannot bend my leg much or put full weight on it. Yesterday I couldn't do either at all. I had to be helped to the bathroom, and then pee standing up. (Every time I think I've lost the last shred of my dignity, I find out there are further layers to be stripped away.)
I called the hospital last night, when I realized the knee was much more swollen than it used to get, and also when I remembered that having a fall when pregnant is kind of a big deal. They told me to come in to the hospital, and to call my OB. So I called the doctor, and he told me to come in the morning for an ultrasound, but not to bother going to the hospital, because they'd just tell me to ice it and keep it elevated, which I was doing anyways. He advised that I make an appointment with my orthopedist instead.
So we went to the office this morning, after a completely awful night in which I had to sleep on the couch, but couldn't sleep on my side as usual because of the knee. Nor could I sleep flat on my back because- pregnant! No sleeping on your back after sixteen weeks! So I slept in a semi-reclining position with the help of pillows, and woke up almost every hour, longing for the morning.
Everything was fine in the old uterus, as I figured it was. I could feel lots of kicks during the night, so I assumed he was fine, but was happy to be reassured of it. I was not so happy to be reminded again that I should really see an orthopedist about the knee. Yay, I'm so sure physical therapy would really fit into my schedule of watching a toddler. But, one of our friends is a physical therapist, so I'm thinking of just asking him for the rehab exercises he would recommend for this type of injury. Maybe I can just do them at home.
So anyways. Luckily my mom was off work today, so after the appointment Addy and I camped out at my parent's house all day. I ate, slept (thanks to some Benadryl for the continuing sinus congestion,) and watched- what else?- Friends reruns and also some of the second season of Rome. Not too bad of a day, but I was very sick of being stuck on the couch with a stiff leg and a stuffy nose.
Oh, and did I mention that when I fell yesterday, we were in the process of leaving for my brother-in-law's birthday party? And that after the party, I was supposed to go to a play with Jim's mom and sister? And I had to miss both those things?
It was a BAD day, yesterday.