Grumpy this morning

I had a horrible nightmare just before I woke this morning.

In the dream I had a new neurologist. The woman surprised me with a pair of leg braces. She didn't consult with me about it, it was just her policy. I helplessly obeyed.

Now, I know (or used to know) braces very well. My youngest brother wore them for Legges-Perthes, a disease more commonly known as hip dysplasia, and even more commonly known today as a disease in pets. My brother wore a long brace on one leg and a ridiculously built-up shoe on the other.

Furthermore, I worked for a short while in a company that made orthotics, or braces for humans, and prosthetics. At that time we saw plenty of children and teenagers forced to wear similar (or even worse) braces. It still pains me to remember my little brother stuck in those things, and in awful pain when he was not.

The braces in my dream were regular leg braces for people who could not properly lock their knees while walking. It is no coincidence that this is one of my worrisome tendencies. My dream-self checked for drop-foot bracing, but there was none. Another problem I have (at times like now, when I am stressed) is not being able to pick up the front of my foot. It causes some of the most spectacular crashes when I am out with Ellie. She can recognize the sound of such a "trip," and scoots away, with tail tucked under her bum.

My dream self noted with satisfaction that I did not yet need a drop-foot brace. She strapped the braces into place and tried to stand up.

That's when I woke up, rolled out of the side of the bed, and went downstairs as fast as I could.

I grabbed the railing very tightly on the way down.

pb
Little Pond