CrutchGirl Takes NYC

I wrote a post a few months ago about a trip that I took to NYC. I was only there for a day, but it was enough to scare me away. However, my sister lives there and had been asking me to visit, so after enough pleas from her, I decided to suck up my fears and just go. Alone. To NYC. On crutches. As my health has been really declining. Smart idea? Maybe not so much, but I don’t regret going because even though I felt miserable for much of the trip, I learned a lot, spent time with both of my siblings, and even saw Tina Fey 🙂

NYC was filled with challenges. With each obstacle, I had to decide if I was going to tackle it or not. Most of the time I tried my hardest to keep going, even in the face of pain and fear. There were some moments when I just didn’t feel like I could keep going, but I pressed on through. After all, I figured I could survive anything for just a few days.

Here are some of the challenges/experiences I had while venturing to and through NYC on crutches:

• The airport: I was nervous about security stopping me because of my wrapped foot and crutches. I always think about the time when I was first diagnosed and had to fly to Florida for a funeral. The TSA Agent grabbed my tender, sensitive foot, then proceeded to squeeze and move it while I screamed in pain. Thankfully, this time was different. I breezed through security, boarded the plane first, and had a good experience.
• The Bus: I had to take a bus from the airport to my sister’s place. After figuring out how to get a ticket, I got on and sat down. A few stops later, the bus was completely cramped. I had to push my way through to get off when we reached my stop. The bus ride on the way back to the airport was worse. First, I had to stand because the seats were filled. When I finally got to sit down, a woman bumped into my leg. Thankfully, a nice guy gave me a different seat that protected my leg more. When we reached the airport, I missed my stop and had to ask the driver to wait for me to get off. If people hadn’t already suspected that I was a tourist, they definitely knew it when I had no clue what I was doing!
• Walking around: My siblings are fast walkers, and at times, it was hard to keep up. My sister was very frustrated by my slower pace, so she usually walked a few feet in front of me. She made it very clear to me that I was interfering with her usual routine, which made me feel horrible. I told her that she should be thankful for my slowness, though, because that’s what allowed us to see/talk to Tina Fey on the subway!
• Blisters: My brother and I walked about 20 blocks each way to and from Central Park on our second day in the city. This, combined with the hour or two we spent walking through the park, created some major blisters on my hand and good foot. It was hard to use my crutches for the next few days as the blisters healed, but I had no choice but to  walk through the pain. I mean, really, compared to RSD, should I complain about blisters? Probably not. But they were a challenge to work with. I ended up putting foam padding on my crutches and on my foot to ease the pressure.
• People: In NYC, there is little personal space. People are everywhere! I received lots of stares and questions about my leg, which made me feel uncomfortable at times. I am pretty used to it, but each look is a reminder about how different I am. Navigating through crowds was rough, and I was always concerned that someone might bump into me or cause me to fall.
• The Subway: Goodness, if I go through the rest of my life without ever using a subway again, I’ll be happy. My anxiety spiked every time I had to cross that small gap from the platform to the train. From there it was a race to either sit down (if a seat was available) or hold onto the pole as tightly as I could before the train took off. I only fell on one person (oops), but after that I learned how to do it right.
• Stairs: I appreciated the fact that parts of NYC were very accessible, but I found myself facing large flights of stairs more than I would have liked. There was one day when I was exhausted from walking around, and after making the journey down the stairs to the subway station, I discovered that I would have to go down many, many more stairs before reaching the train. I took things slowly and eventually got there.
• Escalators: I went to the Plaza because my sister told me they had good FroYo. Oh, and I’ve always been a big fan of Eloise, so that was pretty cool. We took the subway and walked a few blocks to get there. When I walked through the doors, I was faced with one option: take the escalator downstairs. There were no other doors, no stairs, no elevator in sight. I hobbled over and tried so hard to get on. My sister went down without me while my brother waited, encouraging me to just do it. I was terrified. Going down non-moving stairs on crutches was hard enough for me, and I was almost certain that I’d fall. I began to cry in frustration (much to my sister’s dismay–she was getting angry with me). Finally, my sister figured out that there was an elevator on the other side of the building. She wasn’t happy about it, but we went outside and around to find the alternative route of getting downstairs.

Okay, enough negativity. How about some of the highlights of my trip???

• I was able to see my sister for the first time since August.
• I got to see my brother and spend more than a minute with him. (He lives in a different state as well)
• I finally met my bunny nephew and got some bunny snuggles.
• I went to my sister’s school and met her students. I even got to sub as a parapro and help one of the kids with his work! It was fun to see where my sister works.
• My brother and I took a lovely trip to Central Park. Yes, it gave me blisters, but it was worth it. We chatted, took pictures, and simply enjoyed each others’ company and the gorgeous nature around us. The weather was perfect, there weren’t many people, and we got lots of fresh air.
• We ate some great food. Macarons, frosting shots, candy, soup, froyo…okay, most of those things are sweets. What can I say? I was on vacation! (Um, but honestly, I eat too many sweets when I’m not on vacation, too)
• We saw Tina Fey on the subway! I think I’ve written enough about this already, but it was really exciting.
• We went to a lot of iconic/famous places. It’s cool to see things on TV and know that I was right there.
• I got out of my comfort zone. Sometimes it’s good to go outside of your own little part of the world and explore new places, even if it makes you uncomfortable.
• I learned that I can push through, even when I feel like I’m at the end of my rope.

Overall, this trip was about how I had imagined it to be. I knew that there would be plenty of struggles, so my pain and fatigue didn’t come as a huge shock. I do wish I could have been a bit more prepared for some things (like bringing better shoes and more medical supplies), but for the most part, I was ready for whatever happened. New York is not my favorite place and I doubt I’ll be returning anytime soon, but I’ve realized most of my dislike for the city comes from my own problems, not the city itself.