so this happened

 My right knee had been bothering me for a couple days. I think the initial problem happened from wearing new chunky-heeled shoes for too long on last Monday. It didn't bother me much Tuesday and Wednesday, then Thursday, after walking around campus (over uneven ground) with students for a lab, it hurt more. 

I made it through Friday but it hurt every time I got up out of a chair, but then got better upon walking.

Saturday, I was mostly sedentary (the cold) and Sunday I didn't go to church (still coughing and the knee DID hurt). Sunday I did myself bad - I had read "sitting still with a sore knee is bad, force yourself up to move" and I did, several times, doing at least 5 minutes of walking. It was hard and it hurt.

When I was getting into pajamas? I twisted funny and felt a click and the pain got MUCH worse.

And I said a couple bad words (I didn't fall, I was standing next to my bed and just sat down heavily on it)

I wound up not walking again that evening. I managed to hobble to my rolling desk chair and I have wide enough "paths" from my bedroom to the bathroom, and to the living room, dining room, and kitchen. So I just rolled everywhere instead of trying to use a cane to get around.

For the rest of the evening, I felt like I didn't dare put weight on my foot. I was afraid I'd torn a tendon or broken something. I texted someone I know from church and she said she could drive me to urgent care the following day, and help me out of the house if needed. 

I didn't sleep very well; a combination of worry, discomfort, and having to get up multiple times for the restroom (because anxiety, but also because I really noticed it - it took about five minutes to navigate and I woke up fully because I'd left the bathroom light on to be sure not to fall.)

Overnight, I decided: no, go to the ER. For one thing: urgent care doesn't open until 8, if they even open on a federal holiday, and for another: I was pretty convinced I'd need an x ray or maybe even an MRI. 

So in the morning, I texted Dana again and asked her, if she was up, to get me to the ER. (I also checked and at that point - not long after 7 - they had a 0 wait time listed). I managed to dress and choke down a yogurt (the pain and the worry were making me nauseated). Dana called her large adult son to come assist; they probably would not have got me into her truck without him, he basically half-carried me as I was afraid to put weight on my right leg.

Went through the usual intake procedures. Everyone at the ER is very nice, or maybe they are because I'm polite and not demanding and don't do things like request narcotics straight off (in fact, I turned down pain meds; I'd rather have a little pain and be able to function). 

A young doctor (seriously, he looked to be about 25, but he was a good doctor) came in. He looked hard at my knees, noted the absence of any swelling in the injured one was a good sign. He felt all over them, pressing hard and asking where it hurt. He also bent my leg around and asked about pain. I didn't have  LOT of pain, and oddly, a few of the manipulations actually made it hurt LESS.

He then said: Well, we'll grab an x-ray to make sure nothing's broken or displaced, but I think you have a sprain.

I guess I never really sprained a knee before and I didn't realize how intensely painful it could be. This pain was almost as bad as the worst migraine I had ever had. Or at least I remembered it as. Maybe the migraine was worse.

(On the 1-10 scale, the knee pain while sitting was maybe a 2, trying to walk it was a 7 or 8 but the bigger problem was I was terrified I'd step down wrong and mess something else up)

It took a LONG time to get the radiology results (and we also wound up waiting on the "outcome" - this is a small hospital and I bed they didn't have the items they needed in stock, and had to wait until the medical-device place opened to get them). While I was waiting again on the doctor, I saw the young nurse (a former student of mine!) unwrapping crutches and a big knee immobilizer and since the ER was NOT busy, I figured they had to be for me.

I was right; shortly before the doctor came back in she came in and showed me how to put the immobilizer on and had me test out to get the right extension on the crutches for my height and arm length. Then he came back - yeah, nothing broken or visibly damaged, it's a sprain, stay off it, wear the immobilizer and use the crutches to walk, put heat on it (since there's no swelling), and take either tylenol or an nsaid. (I turned down any narcotic pain relief; I would rather have a little pain - and it really only is a little pain when I'm still - than be groggy and non functional. I also don't do NSAIDS because of my touchy stomach)

I do have to follow up with my regular doctor in a week to see if things are getting better. I will say the immobilizer helps A LOT:

 I don't feel like my knee's going to collapse if I have to move somewhere, and of course I have the crutches to help - I just have to get the hang of using them. 

We got today off (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and it turns out because of the extreme cold they're closing campus tomorrow too - the buildings CAN be very hard to heat. So I don't have to worry about getting to campus until Wednesday. I think I will have to take the immobilizer off to drive (that's my right leg there) and put it on once I've parked, and I'll have to park in the BACK lot, which is on the same level as where my office is, so I can avoid stairs. Eventually I'll be able to get a temporary handicapped tag, at least for campus. 

If I'm really sore and can't move? I might cancel lab and teach the lecture online. I'm not sure how to make this work; this is one of those places where going it alone is hard. Dana did make the offer to get groceries or even carry out food for me but I like being independent. At least with wal-mart, if I can drive, I can do the "pick up at the curb" but.....then getting stuff into the house would be a problem.

I guess I really have to get used to those crutches.