My Broken Leg Ruined My No Buy Year
I was really excited to write my January 2024 recap. The first month of my no buy year went really well…until it didn’t.
On January 25th, I slipped on the back yard deck and broke my leg a few inches above my ankle. It was absolutely the most pain I have ever experienced. I thought that I would throw up as my husband tried to help me hop through the house to the car so we could go to the emergency room. I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was broken from the amount of pain. I knew that it was going to be rough – I had never even walked with crutches before!
Finding out that I would be unable to walk for at least six weeks meant there were certain things that I had to buy. There were also things that I knew would make my life easier even though I did not absolutely have to have them. I felt devastated. Not only was my no buy broken medical bills were going to begin piling up soon. I have an $1800 deductible that had just restarted at the beginning of the year. After getting a CT scan of my leg the following Monday and seeing the doctor, I found out I did not have to have surgery. Instead, they put me in a hard cast.
Things I Purchased for My Broken Leg
The first thing that I absolutely had to buy was a shower chair. I could not put weight on my foot for at least 6 weeks. I was physically incapable of getting in and out of a bathtub, not to mention I could not get the cast wet! This was not optional.
I was also told I needed to keep my foot elevated as much as possible. I probably could have made it work with pillows that we already had but I chose to buy a specially made pillow. It made sleeping a lot easier without worrying about rolling over on my broken leg.
Getting around on crutches is physically exhausting and there is not way to carry anything from room to room. I decided that I would buy a knee scooter. It allows me to put things into the basket at the front and scoot around my house from room to room much more easily. I say “allows” because 8-1/2 weeks post-break, I am still using the knee scooter to get around. Even though I am now in a boot and doing physical therapy, I am still not allowed to put weight on my leg! It also allows me some independence which lets my husband have a break. I can’t use it to carry a cup of hot coffee out of the kitchen but I can put my lunch into the basket and take it to the couch. I have been spending all of my time not working or sleeping on the couch, with my leg elevated.
Although the knee scooter wasn’t exactly necessary, I do not regret purchasing it. I found an Amazon warehouse deal that allowed me to get it for almost $50 less than it typically retails for.
Buying Things I Didn’t Actually Need
The first week after the break, I took the week off from work to rest and sleep. I was extremely exhausted, just from being awake. My husband was at work when he was not driving me to doctor’s appointments. Even though I had my three dogs to cuddle me, I started really wanting a comfort item to hug while I was sleeping on the couch. I bought myself a 12″ Squishmallow. It was definitely not necessary but it did make my first few weeks on the couch much more enjoyable. I bought 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies as well. I felt so awful, I wanted things that would make me feel better, even just emotionally.
I bought a reacher/grabber tool that allows me to pick things up off the floor like my phone charger or anything small I have dropped. It is definitely a luxury but I am glad that I have the ability to choose to buy some things that just made life easier. The first few weeks were difficult enough.
I also purchased two books. While again, not essential they helped me stay in good spirits during my first few weeks on the couch and also kept me from doing nothing but watching television. Although I did watch the entire Pretty Little Liars series on Hulu.
A List of Things I Bought to Help with My Broken Leg Over the Last 9 Weeks:
- Shower chair
- Non-skid shower mat to go under the chair because it was sliding in the tub.
- Knee scooter
- Reacher/grabber
- Leg pillow
- Duct tape for taping trash bags around my cast to shower because we ran out of the tape we had.
- 2 Nightgowns with pockets
- A pair of stretchy pants that were easy to get on over my hard cast. They also work for my boot.
- 4 pair of boot socks with light compression to wear under the boot. With 8, my husband does not have to do laundry more than once a week for me to have a clean one.
- Ice pack designed for ankles
- A second ice pack because the ankle and knee of the leg I have to hop on have been getting sore.
- Ankle brace for sleeping without the boot
Borrowing Is Also a Good Option
We were able to borrow a folding wheelchair from a friend and that is something that has made life easier as well. I am still unable to drive and it’s much easier to have my husband push me in the wheelchair instead of trying to use crutches or transport the heavy knee scooter. I hope that when this is all over I will be able to pay it forward and give someone that needs it my knee scooter. I definitely do not plan on needing it again any time soon!
Unforeseen Purchases That Became Necessary
In my original no buy rules, I said that I would buy clothes if I gained or lost weight and needed clothes that fit due to that. Unfortunately, being unable to do even normal daily activity caused me to gain 11 pounds in 7 weeks. This is only partially the fault of the Girl Scout cookies, since I still have 2-1/2 boxes left! I know that once I am wearing jeans again, my old jeans will not fit me since I had also gained 7 pounds over the holidays. Essentially, I am 18 pounds heavier than I was in October 2023. Rather than feel like crap about it, I bought a larger pair of jeans when Old Navy was having a sale and they were $16. I know that I will likely need a few more “fat clothes” as this weight will probably not come off as easily as it was gained, even once I am able to exercise and move freely again. I do not love it but I am choosing to be gentle with myself since this is a pretty extreme situation.
The first 3-4 weeks after the break, I was hungrier than I have ever been in my life. I chalk that up to my body needing extra calories to repair. I don’t think I went overboard but I did snack which is something I don’t typically do. Even Kind bars and protein bars do add up, calorie-wise. I also was extremely hot during those weeks and I am someone that is always chilly with a blanket on. From what I have read, your body’s basal metabolic rate increases temporarily as you heal. I know that physically there was probably no avoiding what happened so I am going to let myself be comfortable while still not buying a new wardrobe because I do not plan to stay this weight/size. After 9 weeks of inactivity and counting, I am looking forward to being able to work out again!
Breaking a Bone is Not Cheap
I don’t really want to add up all the purchases I have made and I may not. This was an extreme situation and I feel like I’ve made the choices that were right for me at the time. In addition to purchases, there have been the emergency room visit; doctor’s appointments; 4 sets of X-rays so far; a CT scan; 4 casts as the swelling went down and my leg lost volume; and now physical therapy appointments twice a week. I have had a couple different prescriptions although they were thankfully very cheap. I met my deductible for the year really quickly so that can be a positive thing, if I want to look at it from a different perspective. I am very thankful that my job allows me to work from home. The clients that I was seeing in the office were all able to transition to telehealth appointments.
A Practice in Gratitude
One thing that this experience has given me is an opportunity to practice gratitude. I am unbelievably thankful for many things throughout this experience. That is not to say that I have not had my moments of overwhelm and breakdown. About a month in, I cried and told my husband: “I can’t do this anymore.” He asked, “Do what?” And I said, “Have a broken leg.” Not very logical! I cried much more easily those first 6 weeks and I am an easy crier already.
My husband has been incredible throughout this whole thing. He has had to cook and serve me all of my meals, do all the laundry, and do all of the housework. He had to help me bathe until I got the hard cast off – I am so thankful I am able to do that mostly on my own now. He had to help me get dressed the first few weeks, I could do pretty much nothing for myself. Now I can do more but he still helps with a lot of it because he does not want me to get hurt and I appreciate that.
I have also been trying to enjoy my slow time. I am not someone that takes much time to be quiet and still. I like hobbies and projects. I have tried to mindfully enjoy the extra cuddles that I have with the dogs and the time that I can just read without getting distracted by my mind telling me all of the other things that I could be doing with that time. I hope that I am able to continue this slowness once it is something that I have to actively seek out and practice rather than something that is forced upon me, as it is now.
Starting the No Buy Over
Because this no buy year was important to me and it still is, I will be starting over beginning in June. That is barring anything unforeseen. If I have learned anything from this experience, it is that unexpected things can and will happen! Starting in January was just for the good feeling that beginning something in January and doing it for a calendar year gave me. It would be silly if I were to decide that I had to wait until 2025 to try again. My physical therapist seems to think that life will be back to normal by mid-May, even though that is difficult for me to imagine now at the end of March. Decluttering is still important to me, moreso now than ever. As my world became smaller I saw how important some things can be while others are not at all. I may be paying off medical bills instead of paying off my credit card initially but that is fine too. Being able to pivot is just as important as being resilient. If this experience has taught me anything beyond expecting the unexpected, it is that I am resilient.