Sunday, March 20, 2011

Don't Break A Leg...

Ok...if you need to at least try for a mid to proximal fibula break. Apparently, this is the million dollar break such as the million dollar wound. And we all know, I was dying to win the lottery. So in the midst of admiring my goal (a mental snapshot of the ball hitting the net) the 6 ft, 200 + lb goalie finished his slide-tackle by bull- dozing my right leg. In 3 weeks, my fancy custom made black cast will be removed. ***************************************************************************** Just think, June 3, 2008 I was so thankful that it was not my leg that had a broken tibia and fibula. Don't break a leg! A widely known phrase for good luck on broadway but definitely not good to use before adult soccer games especially co-ed soccer games. If I had made the opposite decision a half second earlier it could of been my left leg. Instead it was Patti's poor leg. I had enough experience to know when a guy is going for the offensive rocket shot on goal or the defensive rocket clear out. My foot/ankle has unfortunately been in the wrong place at the wrong time more than once. One incidence was a guy shooting on goal during an indoor game. His kick left a 3 1/2 inch diameter bruise that took over a year to heal. I thought for sure it was fractured at the time. In November of the following year, you could still see the discoloration. Needless to say there was also a calcium build-up on the bone that remained for 2 years. Another incidence involved a guy clearing out a ball. My ankle was about a 1/4 inch from the ball. So as he kicked the ball....the ball hit my ankle....and my ankle popped. Thank goodness the pop was ligament related and not bone breaking related. I will take a sprained ankle any day compared to a broken leg. All this brought me to 6/3/08...at that moment, a decision of whether to block the shot or not was quickly made. I thought about the possible outcome and his actual chance to score (small goal for a 6 vs 6 game). At that moment, I decided not to plant my foot in front of the ball. I was going to let him have his chance. BUT as he took the shot Patti planted her foot there to block it. I had no idea she was back on defense right behind me. It resulted in an instant break of the right leg (tibia and fibula). A break that doctors associate with car crashes. To spare you nasty details lets just say after Kelli and I got her to the hospital it was realized that she needed surgery. BTW, for complicated reasons her health insurance had expired 2 days prior...when it rains it pours... Thankfully her friends stepped up and we all made a generous donation towards her surgery.

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