October 13, 2007

Three years ago on a Saturday night, I got a text from a friend Jake Packer (super cute kid) to come disco skating at classic that night. So me and Paige met up at my apartment and invited some of our friends that lived in the same building to come with us. There were about 10-15 of us all together both boys and girls. Most of us were all in the same college ward at Wyview. We dressed up 70's and headed over to classic. When we got there, Paige decided she wasn't going to skate because she has bad luck. Me being the poor college student that I was decided to go for roller skates instead of roller blades because they were cheaper (Even though Paige paid for me). I have roller bladed and ice skated my entire life. I would like to think I was pretty coordinated when it came to that kind of thing. So I got my roller skates and put them on. My first skates wheels came off. I should have taken that as as sign. So I went and switched them out. I put my skates on and held off for a minutes before going out onto the rink with my friends. They convinced me to go out. I  made it about 1/4th of the way around the rink, then...

CRASH! 

I felt myself falling and when I got to the ground, I saw my left leg twist back around to the way it was supposed to be. It felt like my leg went instantly paralyzed. I knew something was wrong, so instead of trying to stand up, I scooted myself off the rink. My friend Mandy must have seen me fall and came over to me. She asked if I was okay and I told her I don't think so. I had her take off my skate and she pulled up my pant leg. My bone was sticking out, but not out of the skin. By that time more and more people came to see what happened. Paige came running over and she called my parents and they decided to take me to Utah Valley hospital (Don't worry I think it was like 10:30 or later) The classic skating people were idiots. They put me in a wheelchair and had my leg on one of those footstands, but they didn't lock it so it kept swinging all over the place. They also just thought my bone sticking out was just a goose ache, so they were shoving ice on it.

Before putting me in my car (Paige was driving) the boys from my ward gave me a priesthood blessing. Then Paige, Laura, and Mandy drove me to the hospital. I remember the rode being really bouncy. I was so thankful for Laura and Mandy because they told me awkward date stories and for Paige because she tried to drive as smoothly as possible. When we got to the ER, the girls went running in to get some help from the ER staff. I dont think the ER staff thought I was as injured as they made it seem until they saw my leg. They then rushed me in, put me on a bed, and asked the basic ER questions.

From there it is kind of a blur. I remember laying in a bed for forever, my parents showing up and that's when I cried for the first time, the XRAY tech demanding them to get me morphine, the ER tech getting the IV in the first time, and them cutting off my favorite pants.  I remember Dayna, Paige, and my mom and dad being in the room with me.

The next morning I was taken to surgery and had a 14 inch rod and 5 screws placed in my left Tibia because I spiral fractured both my tibia and fibula. I was discharged from the hospital 3 days later. I really don't remember too much about the hospital other than yelling at my siblings for making me eat, finding half eaten suckers in my bed, making my mom stay all night because I was scared of the night nurse, Physical Therapy, having someone I work with give me a bed bath, and putting my leg on the garbage can while showering.

Recovery sucked and I was in a lot of pain. I dropped out of BYU for the semester, moved home, got wheeled around in a wheelchair, had people confused of what was wrong with me because I didn't have a cast, and stayed on crutches for 3 months.

The girls. Mandy is the one next to me.

Some of the group. Yes, I went to the ER looking like that.

Not my calf. That's the top.

Thanks mom and dad for sleeping there with me!

So 3 years later, I am still affected by this injury. After working 12 hour shifts, my ankle still swells up. Running sometimes hurts. I can tell when the weather is going to change because my leg just aches. I set metal detectors off. Jumping hurts especially my ankle. My bone still sticks out. I hesitate to do some things because I am afraid to re-break it, but I am doing much better at being more adventurous!