I’ve been walking with a cane. Seems I pulled some thing-a-ma-bob in my right knee by sitting down (yeah, I know - imagine what damage I could have done had I actually been doing something), and it has my whole knee soft and untrustworthy. They say I’ll be fine in a week or two (tell that to my knee), and I’ve been getting around the house pretty well without it the last day or so, so I’m not worried about having to use the cane forever, but I do have some observations about using one of these things.

First off, the rest of my body hurts. My left leg hurts from trying to do the work of two, my shoulders hurt from walking with my arm (although I’m a little confused why my left shoulder hurts, since I use the cane in my right hand), both hips hurt from the position of my body I’m unconciously using to protect my right knee…basically, I’m hurting all over just because I boo-booed one small part.

Next, my hand is bruised. I never realized how much force would be transfered from the ground to the heel of my hand through the cane. After a day on the thing, I can barely get my hand around a mouse (and those who know me know a mouse is a routine extention of my arm).

Another thing I was surprised to learn: canes ain’t glamorus. I don’t know how all those guys in the black-and-white movies manage to look suave swaggering around with a cane or walking stick, but I look a whole lot like a dork waddling around with this thing. There’s just no way to be smooth while stumbling around trying not to fall on one’s face.

I’ve been seriously wondering if I wouldn’t be better off with a knee brace, a rollar skate, and some ski polls.