When you have a bang-up knee...
strangers will unabashedly approach you and tell you about their own former injuries. They will also give you pitiful looks and say things like "that's a bummer" or "that must suck" or "that looks terrible" and other not-so-consoling remarks that often leave you feeling worse than you may have felt before they chose to comment on your gimpy situation.
it takes you over a minute to walk down 10 little stairs.
chair fitness videos like this one become sanity staples.
you furrow your brow and sigh every time your crutches fall over and make that hollow clangy sound.
and you are out for a "walk" in a wheelchair on your own, sidewalks with large gaps become terrifying obstacle courses.
getting a glass of water or cup of tea from the kitchen to the couch involves a series of shuffling, sliding, placing and huffing.
you want to gnaw off your leg like a trapped animal.
