“Well because you haven’t been able to put any weight on your foot and it has been 3 weeks I have to assume that it’s more than a sprained ankle.” These words shocked me. I could feel my foot throbbing from Dr. Fett’s words. Dr. Fett, his bushy gray mustache bobbing up and down, continued to talk with my mom. To me this chitter chatter was just buzzing in my ears as I remembered my last week of 6th grade.
May 29, 2009
It was pajama day/movie day/tie dye day for the sixth grade at White
Pines Middle School. That morning was a very simple routine, wake up (of
course leaving my pajamas on), eat breakfast, comb hair, leave for school.
All I expected to do was, go to school, walk to Grand Haven 9 to see the
new movie UP, come back , tie dye a pillow case, and go home. But things
aren’t always as they seem…
“OMG That is so my new favorite movie!” I said
“Yeah totally!” Noah said, “Come on let’s get around these slow pokes.” As I stepped around some of my classmates in the tall scraggly brown grass everything happened at once, I felt my ankle roll around in its socket and a piercing pain shot up my leg starting from my ankle. I attempted to step but the pain became worse. I don’t know much about being stabbed but from my perspective that’s what it felt like, a knife through my ankle.
“Sandra, Noah wait I twisted my ankle really bad.” I gasped as my friends continued on not realizing they were leaving me behind.
“What?” asked Sandra
“It hurts really bad” a small crowd had gathered around to see
what had happened.
“What’s going on?” my social studies teacher Mrs. Koester asked.
“I tripped on some dirt I said I don’t think I can walk on it.” I gasped
“Wait you tripped on dirt?” asked Mrs. Koester
“Umm Yea. Its sounds so stupid but it hurts really bad.” I almost laughed at how crazy tripping on dirt was! Tears started to well up because it felt as though the “knife” was digging deeper into my ankle. I felt alone as Mrs. Koester and Holzinger ushered on my friends. All I knew now was that I was alone with Mrs. Koester and Mrs. Holzinger waiting for Mr. Pearson to drive me back to school.
“Well at least you got to see UP before you twisted your ankle.” Said Mrs. Holzinger. I smiled grimly and tried to see beyond the drying tears in my eyes. It was very quiet as the wind blew across my face. After what seemed like hours I could hear the rumble of a distant car. Once the light blue suburban rounded the corner I felt my muscles tightening up for the last couple minutes I had to stand next to that telephone post. I didn’t say much as Mr. Pearson helped me into is car. I hopped on one foot 10 feet after standing on it for 15 minutes. Then we took off in Mr. Pearson’s car. Mr. Pearson’s car scares me to this day, with the smell of smoke and creepy skull figurine, it just adds to how much I despise him. My predicament got even more uncomfortable when I had to hold my leg off the floor of the car so that it didn’t hit the floor when we passed over a bump. I tried to distract myself from the pain by watching Grand Haven slip by. The car rounded a corner and I saw my fellow classmates that were so fortunate to miss the pile of dirt.

“Wave!” Mr. Pearson said I smirked and waved. “Wave!” Mr. Pearson said as he himself waved his pale wrinkly hand. I smirked and then waved meekly as Mr. Pearson’s blaring car horn attracted my classmate’s attention. I watched as my friends slipped out of my view. When we got to school Mr. Pearson got out of the car to get me a wheelchair. When he left I remembered about my soccer game the next day. This really struck deep in my heart. I love soccer and it was our last game, I really didn’t want to miss it. I could just imagine it, me playing left forward scoring the winning goal! I couldn’t help thinking that we would lose without me…I was right! Well you may have just thought that I was making a mountain out of a molehill about a twisted ankle but it wasn’t just that it was… a sprained ankle (dun dun dunanana)! I never tie dyed that pillow case! Mr. Pearson helped me into the wheelchair and brought me into the main office. Mr. Pearson helped me into the brown leather wheel chair. My hands gripped the cold steel handles as he wheeled me through the blue automatic doors. Mr. Pearson brought me through the quiet hallway to the main office. I just sat there waiting for my dad to pick me up. Its really boring just sitting in a main office with a bunch of adults doing their jobs all the time. Come on what’s up with that? Well anyways I started to listen to the soft footsteps coming down the hallway. Every time I expected my dad but it was about 5 minutes before he showed up. He took me home to rest and ice my swelling purple foot.
As I jump back to the present I hear Dr. Fett say
“There are 3 different types of sprains, a 1st degree sprain which should heal in a couple weeks, a 2nd degree sprain which is a partially torn
ligament, and a 3rd degree sprain which is a completely torn ligament. I
think you have a 2nd degree sprain.” This didn’t make much sense to me
but I took Dr. Fetts word for it and headed home with my mom.
Using crutches is hard work and I really hope I don’t have to ever do it again. I was on crutches for almost 2-3 months. Some comments I got about my ankle were “what happened”, ”what happened”, and when I told my cousin Dean he said “How graceful!” My Parents were shocked because at the end of 5th grade I broke my middle finger. They’re praying I don’t do anything worse at the end of this year! My ankle has completely healed and I have been going to physical therapy the whole Summer to help get my strength back. Now I am ready to play soccer again and watch out for those piles of dirt!