It runs in the family.

I've mentioned before that I'm very accident-prone and have been in slings, braces, etc one too many times. It wouldn't be so bad if there were exciting stories to go along with those injuries, like whitewater rafting or mountain climbing. Alas, any injuries I've had have been incurred by more mundane means. From slipping on leaves while walking down the hill (which resulted in a fractured tailbone) to tripping down a set of steps (that incident ended in a broken foot), the only stories I have are boring, even downright yawn-inducing. At least, I'm not alone, and I can say that I've come by my accident-proneness honestly as my grandmother is the same way.

In the last 20 years, Grandma has had both knees, her left hip, and her left shoulder replaced, as well as, tendon transfer surgery on her left hand. Even after all of those surgeries, at the age of 84, she still gets around well. Grandma does pretty much anything she wants and even works out at a women's gym every weekday. We do keep a close eye on her, though, and she tries to keep her cell phone on hand as she tends to fall easily (and because of the knee replacements can't get up on her own). It's been a while since the last bad fall, or at least, it had been a while until Monday morning.

Grandma fell while outside walking in the yard when we were doing morning chores. Luckily, she had her cell phone with her and was able to call me. A trip to the Emergency Room and a few x-rays later, the ER doctor announced that she had a broken shoulder (the right one this time), a bruised hip (also the right one), and an appointment with her regular orthopedic surgeon.

So, yesterday, my mother and I took Grandma to the appointment, where the second doctor confirmed that her shoulder was, indeed, broken and that her hip might be as well (and if it was, he would most likely perform surgery immediately). That led to an MRI scan at a nearby hospital (incidentally, the very same hospital that was in the news last week for being the location where a pregnant teen was abducted - if you haven't heard about it, you can read the story here.) and a very short, but nervous wait to find out the verdict.

Luckily, her hip isn't broken, just badly bruised. She'll be in a sling for her shoulder for the next few weeks, but she should be fine. I actually think she's feeling a little better today as she's read the newspaper, watched TV, and even managed to begin the physical therapy exercises the doctor instructed her to do.