I am now entering my twelfth week of not putting any standing weight on my left leg. At this point, with some trial and error, I think I’m getting the hang of life as a flamingo. Here are ten keys things I now keep top of mind:

1. Never casually toss anything.  Not a blanket to the chair.  Not a wrapper to the waste basket.  It will miss.  You tossed it because it was a reach, and now it is further out of reach but you have to figure out how to get it.  (Or live with it until your next helper comes by, who will enjoy an explanation.)
2. Assume you will have mail.  If you are using crutches to visit the mailroom, then bring the backpack, always.  Yes, 99% of the time it’s junk.  But occasionally there is a lovely card! And you don’t want to crumple it on the way to your apartment.
3. Even though a walker collapses for riding in a car, its shape may require that the convertible roof be lowered to get the walker in, before raising it again for the ride. Allow time for this.
4. Accept help when it is offered in a store.  Even better, ask for help.  It is easier for someone else to put things in the backpack while you’re balancing on crutches.  It just is.  No big deal.
5. Every time the walker slams into the baseboard, it feels good to say ‘that’s why baseboards exist.’  Every time the walker catches a door stop, it feels good to remove it.  But put it where you’ll find it again easily to reinstall later.
6. Use a curling shoe with a 1/4″ Teflon slider as an alternative to ankle weights. It’s heavy and won’t fall off. (Also, honour the strength of your triceps bench dip with all of the training on the bathtub, the window sills, the bed, and various chairs.)
7. Place snacks around the house.  Convenience has a whole new definition now.
8. Use a meter (or yard) stick to flick switches that aren’t easily accessible.
9. If you can position yourself for easy access to three of the elevators with the crutches or the walker, the odds still seem weighted to the fourth, most awkward one opening behind you. Consider this just more pivot practice.
10. Know that the comment “That was a stupid thing to do.” is the same as ‘I love you.’