Have you ever broken every bone in your body?! Oh yeah, neither have …. but I did tear my ACL one time during a soccer game. I was running down the field so exhausted, I slipped rolled over the ball fell back and banged my head on the rough, scratchy turf. I fell so badly on my knee. I started getting tunnel vision, and I had a huge headache, I knew it was not long till i went unconcious. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and head, I slowly looked down at my leg. I was not seeing the extent of my injuries because it was on the inside mostly.
My adrenaline thankfully also kept me from feeling the extent of my current situation, thank goodness! Looking back at it now | realize that it was not just my ACL that I tore. Let us just say | was thankful for that adrenaline to keep me going and VERY thankful that I went unconscious after that. “beep, beep, beep”, I heard as I drifted out of consciousness. I slowly awakened looking straight at a starch white wall, a bitter taste in my mouth. I groggily turned my head from side to side taking in my surroundings.
I had the worst headache, I blinked slowly, open close, open close. I sensed that I was being watched. I gradually turned my head to surprisingly see a woman, in the same matching white outfit as the wall. She looked up smiled and stood up, she grudgingly turned the bright lights away from my face. “Open”, the lady said a couple minutes later, where I found myself with an entire popsicle stick shoved down my throat. “Ack. ” | gagged, she laughed. “I am so sorry but I really need to do this, it is part of the daily examination. She briskly yanked the popsicle stick out of my mouth. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, I swallowed. “Where is my mom? ” I asked. “Down the hall and to the left, no don’t get up I will go,” the nurse replied.
A moment later she came with my mom, who was looking more ragged than me. “Are you ok? ” mom said, “Yeah mom I feel fine,” I responded. She sighed a breath of relief. Walked over and collapsed into the red, velvet cushioned chair. I then pointedly turned all my attention to the nurse, who was looking at me curiously. “How long much longer? “| asked. Only a couple more hours, then we will give your mom the discharge papers,” she responded. “Ok thank you,”–straining my eyes to look at her nametag I could make out the words E— Y. “Emily? ” I asked. “No problem, just part of my job,” Emily smiled. She then walked out of the room, and came back with another woman. She was taller with brown hair stick straight, and a different uniform still starch white. She looked down at me right away and sighed.
“Your concussion was minor, and your ACL is torn, aslo you can leave, in a wheelchair no activity for a long time kiddo. “I am so sorry,” the doctor said. She turned around walked out of the room, laying down those facts with no emotion whatsoever, stolid faces and all. I felt relieved, with this much pain no way did I want to play soccer for awhile. I looked at my mother, who looked exhausted. “Mom can you take me home? ” I asked. “Sure,let’s go now this place gives me the creeps,” she laughed. A moment later I was carrying a plastic walmart bag on my lap, with my clothes. We were slowly rolling down the hallway, passing by each door.
Every emergency door had a huge industrial metal door frame when we passed over it made a certain jolt in the hallway, like going over speed bumps. “Thump,…. thump” I looked down the hallway and around the corner I could see the blinding bright light of the day reflecting of the glass. I was jumpy, finally able to make it out! I closed my eyes, as we went through the glass double doors. A long time later, what seemed like forever we were finally home. Mom lifted the wheelchair out of the back and opened it up. “Alright, get on in,” she yelled from the driver’s side.
I reached down and grabbed her unwavering hand, she slowly helped me descend onto the driveway. She slowly rolled me inside lifted me up the one step, and finally breaking through the entrance. The house smelt like butterscotch and they floors were all sticky under the wheels. It’s good to be home I thought. I was watching TV the next sunday morning, to my surprise my mom walked in and shut it off. “We are going to go to the soccer tournament today, so you can sit by the bench and watch,your coach wants you there, and it would be good for the team to see you. ”
Mom said. ok fine,” I replied. Another 45 min and we were at the field. She silently rolled me down the sidewalk, eventually making to to field 28 like she said. There was my team black and white jerseys. I had just started a coughing fit when she rolled me to my destination, the bench. Not good memories here, I thought. I watched the game. I didn’t care I clapped when they clapped, I said “BOOO,” at all the right times. I really just wanted to leave, they already had a new player on their team. My spot had been fulfilled. I guess should go back to my physical therapy.
I learned a lot from this experience, especially how to overcome situations that seem impossible. When you get hurt it is important to try to get better even if you don’t want to try. Learning from this experience really helped out, next time if I get hurt I will make sure to appreciate what I have while I have it. I won’t be as scared to come back to my team, whether or not they already have a new player or not. The hard work finally paid off in physical therapy, it was a struggle but I won. I am now playing on a division two soccer team two divisions higher than my old team.