How would a cane have helped?

Oh wow. That’s terrible. I’m sorry you went through that. I actually bought a neat cane last month at a Ren faire that I could probably put to use of my doctors and physical therapist(s) want me to. I bought the cane as a prop for costumes, but also as a stick to beat raccoons with. I got jumped by a gang of raccoons a few months ago, and the fuckers keep breaking into my ducks’ outside enclosure. I take the cane out with me whenever it’s dark.

That’s the sort of thing they should have told you