I've bought a cane

I’ve always been a bit unstable (physically. Also mentally, but it’s the physical I want to talk about today). My ankles often gave way, and after podiatry and physio I was told that I have hypermobile ankles. My ligaments are too loose, which also causes some of the pain I feel. I do exercises to strengthen it, wear boots, walk regularly, and deal. My right ankle is worst than my left, jokingly referred to as the ‘problem child’.

Last year I sprained my ankle. Swelling the size of an orange, pain, the complete package. I hobbled around, rested, and it took a good couple of months to fully recover. I had a physiotherapist, who gave me some more specialised exercises, and worked on that. He cautioned that I may need surgery if I tear the ligament entirely.

This was also when my irregular hip pain started flaring up again, eventually leading to an mri where I found out I have torn cartilage in my right hip. This means another set of stretches, and eventually a need for surgery there, as the cartilage isn’t going to fix itself.

What I’m saying is, my right leg is a problem. Bad enough to affect me, but not quite bad enough for immediate invasive intervention.