What Do You Have at the End of Your Cane?

  My knee suddenly swelled and it became painful for me to put my foot down so, I took out my late father’s cane which is made of sturdy wood and has a bent handle. It transferred the weight of my body to my forearm and kept me balanced. I held it with my right hand which was the same side as my good knee. When I reached the stairs, I had to place my hand on the bannister with the cane in my other hand. Automatically, my good leg took the first step and then I brought my injured leg up to the same stair. Going downstairs, I gingerly put my injured leg down first.

The rubber stopper at the end of the cane, which is called a ferrule, seemed to be in good condition which was useful as it’s function was to stop me from slipping. Its condition amazed me because my father was well over 80 when he passed away, and left us many years ago. The article I read stated that the ferrule  should actually be replaced periodically. Apparently, they are available at most drugstores. I did not replace mine as I knew that I would not be using the cane for long.

Fortunately for me, the swelling, as well as the excruciating pain disappeared after a couple of days and I am back to running up and down the stairs instead of using the elevator.