I (k)need your advice!

I dislocated my kneecap last week.

I wish I had a dramatic story to explain what happened, and it's tempting to make one up. But the truth of the matter is, I fell down. I was dodging a crowd of people, my ankle turned, and my kneecap popped out of its joint when I fell. Just good old-fashioned bad luck.

So now I'm stuck in this stupid giant leg brace, and I'm sore all over from using crutches, and I'm bored and depressed and annoyed at myself. My husband is a teacher, so he's home for the summer and being an absolute saint. But I'm not used to being an invalid, and I'm not very good at it. It's not like I'm usually out running marathons or anything, but you get used to being able to, say, go to the bathroom without it being a whole production.

I've been watching lots of TV on DVD (a friend is over right now dropping off all of Friday Night Lights and The Wire, in fact) and have been getting some knitting done, and at least I work at home so I don't have to go anywhere, but this kind of sucks.

The only thing saving me from completely losing my mind is social media. Twitter has been particularly life-saving, from telling me bad jokes while I was in the ER waiting room, to helping me figure out why my crutches were making my armpits feel like they were going to fall off. My pharmacist friend was giving me pain medication advice via Twitter; my physiotherapist friend has been sending me tips and suggestions for using my crutches and going up and down stairs. And since I've been home for a week without seeing anyone except my husband and my doctor, it's helping me feel at least marginally connected to the real world.

Still, even with my virtual buddies amusing me and offering advice and sympathy, it's kind of a drag. I had big plans for my summer—the first summer in years that I didn't have to work evenings and weekends. I can still do some of them, but it's definitely curtailed things. And I miss things I took for granted, like sleeping on my side or putting on my own shoes.

Tell me your stories of totally lame (no pun intended) ways you've injured yourself, share your tips for life on crutches, and suggest ways I can amuse myself with a bum leg, please!

– Sarah