Thursday, May 03, 2007

Raising Cane


Well, I must say—physical therapy is one major pain (literally), but it sure works. All the heat/ice, massaging, and ankle exercising has brought my swelling waaay down, and I can move my ankle more. One fine day I shall have complete range of motion and strength. Oh, for that day.

Turns out my physical therapist is a Christian. Didn’t know that until the fourth time I went. This is because the first three times I was too busy saying, “Ow, ow, ow”—loudly. The PT actually told me (I swear this is a direct quote):


“I will hurt you, but I will never harm you.”

I was not in the finest of moods when she said this, seein’ as how the statement was in the middle of one of the “Ow” sessions. I gave her a look and told her my most evil bad guy on his worst day couldn’t have said anything more diabolical. I mean, really. Can’t you just imagine a chilling, psychotic smile with those words?

Some day I shall use the sentence in a book.

At any rate, I’ve graduated from hobbling in the boot with two crutches (trying not to use my right arm too much), to one crutch—to none. Major accomplishment. I get out of the boot three weeks from tomorrow. Supposedly then I can hobble without it. Might need a cane for awhile. Next up in June—surgery to remove the longest of screws in the ankle. No doubt I shall regress for a time after that. And in July I have to travel to the ChiLibris retreat and ICRS in Atlanta. Lots of walking. I shall need a cane.


Not just any cane will do.

I used a cane four years ago—when I had Lyme. Well, when I walked at all. It was the basic brown hooked kind you can buy at Walgreens. Not this time. I plan to cane around in finery.

Naturally I first looked for bling. Amazing, but you just don’t find many canes with sparkles. I managed to find this one from Fashionable Canes, but it wasn’t enough bling for me. Besides, black is not my color.


So I looked at site after site. Found this really cool one—Creative Canes—where a gal makes customized canes. Only problem is they can get pretty expensive (up to $250 for the one I’d choose), and they have to be made, which takes awhile. The most gorgeous one—a peacock—I’d love to carry, but it’s only for cane collections. (I didn’t know people collected canes.) The handle, with plenty of bling, isn’t made for real use. But isn’t it a beauty?

I found other interesting styles on Fashionable Canes like this exotic wood one.


I finally settled on
this one from Fashionable Canes. Not exactly bling, but handpainted and with mother of pearl in the flowers. And the price is right.

Here’s to raising cane at ICRS.

9 comments:

J. Mark Bertrand said...

Tell me you were at least tempted by the sword canes! :)

Kristy Dykes said...

Oh, man, these things are beauties. I LOVE peacock feathers. Have them in two arrangements in my home. Had a peacock tree at Christmastime with peacock ornaments, and peacock feathers and spangly things fireworking out of the top. (The feathers--it doesn't hurt the birds at all; they shed them.)

I like the one you selected. Beautiful!

I continue to wish you the best on your foot.

~michelle pendergrass said...

This old man I know carves canes, hickory canes to be exact. They're very cool...

Rachelle said...

Can't WAIT to see you and your cane at ICRS! Now I'm going to have to rack my brain for a fashion accessory that could possibly be deemed worthy to be seen in the presence of your handpainted mother-of-pearl beauty.

Anonymous said...

I'm betting Murphy's Law regarding canes is that the fancier the can and the more you love it, the quicker you lose it. That's my experience with any beloved accessory such as sunglasses, pens, etc.

So be careful, Brandilyn. Don't leave that cane on the plane to Atlanta. Keep it close to you or it will, ahem, walk away.

D. Gudger said...

"I will hurt you but I won't harm you." Seems like all PTs learn that line in PT school. Mine said the same thing when I suffered through the elbow debacle!

Debi said...

Oh, the one you picked is gorgeous! Almost makes me wish I needed one. (O.K., not really.)

Just wanted to tell you how excited I am to have won your book from Callapidder Days! I never even knew Christian Suspense existed as a genre. And when I went to your website and found that Brink of Death is the first in a series... well, "giddy" might be a good description of how I felt! Thank you so much!

And I though that cane is gorgeous, I do hope you won't be needing for too terribly long!

T. Forkner said...

LOVE it! One of my characters trades her old cane in for a new fancy one. I should have checked these sites! But too late now. :)

Susanne said...

Gotta love a PT with a flair with words! Right?! :vD

Who knew you could get such fancy canes. Maybe you'll start a new fashion trend when you take that to Atlanta!