11 May 2007

Leg trauma drama

Okay, I guess it's time to share this drama:

As I have mentioned before, I have begun to play basketball with some of the 20 somethings from GAMe on Tuesday nights, this has led to general muscle soreness and the discovery that exactly zero muscles are used in common between dancing and basketball. I am not a good basketball player ... besides not being able to shoot well, I can't dribble (especially left handed), pass, rebound, or know where to play ... I can defend adequately, but playing defense is mostly about hard work.

I am aided by my athleticism, and my fast feet, but not right now.

Two Tuesdays ago, April 24, someone took a long shot, the ball bounced out to me, and I had a clean breakaway. I laid the ball up over the front of the rim, and then proceeded to watch it go in as I went under the basket. Not smart. With my head tilted all the way back I really had no idea where / when I was going to land. I came down hard on my left foot and then awkwardly on my right, falling to the ground in the process. Of course, I got right back up and played. I knew I had hurt my ankles, but I thought it was just sore muscles.

I went through the rest of the week fine, dancing on Friday, and I really didn't pay attention to my ankles again. Monday came around, and they started to complain a lot. So Tuesday (May 1), my first day off, I called my doctor and made an appointment for later in the afternoon that day, hung up, and got to thinking (never a good idea).
** cue the strange music & wavy lines **
hmmm... I can go to the doctor OR I can play basketball tonight and dance on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
** cue back to regular **
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I called right back and canceled the doctors appointment and went on my merry way. By the time I got around to going to the doctor on Tuesday this week, I may have had a slight problem.

swollen ankles
I'm pretty sure they aren't supposed to look like this ... they should be much more tanned.

When the doctor walked into the room she yelled to the tech "They are both swollen." She also took the Web MD pages right out of my hand and said "We'll tell you what is wrong with you." That would be Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, aka, Shin Splints. So the end result is a sprained right ankle and a probable stress fracture on the inside of my left tibia.

Did I mention I hate icing anything? I am supposed to get a bone scan to confirm the stress fracture, but I'm not really enthusiastic about spending that kind of money for that confirmation, and it is my work week and I've been busy. In the meantime I am mostly behaving myself, trying to take it easy, dancing slowly, and NOT playing basketball.



Oddly enough when we looked at the X-rays, it was readily apparent I had broken my right fibula bone about three inches above my ankle at some point in my life. I don't recall this at all. It wouldn't be surprising to find out I had and just toughed it out.

5 comments:

Janna said...

WOW, did she really grab the WebMD pages out of your hand and say "We'll tell you what is wrong with you!" ?????????
That would annoy the heck out of me. It irks me just reading about it! Wow.

Why do you hate icing things?

We totally need to form a leg-injury support group. You can bring the cookies to our first meeting.
I like chocolate chip.

Unknown said...

too bad i shouldn't eat chocolate, so it'll be peanut butter.

i knew my doctor for three years before she was my doctor, she is very cool, so no problem since i only took the papers there to annoy her :-)

Get A Life! said...

I felt the same as Janna! Why do they have to do that? Either ignore it, or explain to people self-diagnosis is dangerous or something. I'm glad you took it in stride and were on good terms with her. As for the basketball, Al tore an achillies' tendon two years ago and had to have surgery. VERY painful! I hope you are better soon.

GingerKid said...

I know you well enough and have heard enough about your doctor to know that when she did that it was all in good fun. I find it funny that you took the papers in with you! You definitely need to get the bone scan though, you'd be telling me the same thing. Just make sure you take it easy!

Anonymous said...

HI. Hope the healing is going well. Sorry to hear about that..yikes!

Adriane