Set a Course for Adventure

Zoe is broken. Well, not exactly broken, just growth plate impaired. She was doing some sort of aerodynamic feat in the living room last week and landed on the top of her foot, on the wood floor, with her entire body weight on her foot. She screamed like there was no tomorrow! I guess it really hurt. I gave her some ice and told her "I thought I told you about jumping off of tables in the living room?" I broke myself once, so I guess I don't have room to talk...

I was in junior high and I was playing with my best friend Cathy in my bedroom. We had leotards on because we had been playing dance class (I think) and we didn't have time to change into something else while we were playing Love Boat. Yes, Love Boat. She was Captain Stubing and I was a stowaway. I was hiding in my closet hoping the Captain wouldn't find me, but he (she) did. I was pulled out of the closet by my two legs (I was sitting on a toy box in the closet. Maybe the toy box was a large steamer trunk full of luggage a passenger had brought onto the ship?) and caught myself by putting my hands down as fast as I could to break my fall. Well, when that happened I heard a sound. Not a real loud sound, but a sound nonetheless. And there was a popping that went along with the sound and darn it, my right wrist just broke. I never cried. It didn't hurt that much, just felt strange. So, I went out into the living room where my dad was sitting with my brother and some new girlfriend he had over. I was still in my leotard and I'm sure my brother loved that. I told my dad, "I think I broke my arm" and his reply was "No you didn't, go play." Hmm, okay. I left the room with Cathy in tow, but my wrist just didn't feel right. So, I went back to my dad again and repeated what I said. Maybe I looked upset or more serious than usual because this time my dad said "okay" and off we went to the hospital. My mom took me, I think. I don't remember all of the details after my dad finally believed me. What I do remember was that I never cried once, but Cathy cried all the way to the hospital and all the way back to my house. She was so upset that she hurt me and couldn't get over it.

I had to wear a cast on my right arm for quite a while. I had horrible penmanship those many weeks and I don't know how my teachers deciphered my assignments with the chicken scratch I handed in. The cast was itchy and hot and boy, that arm stunk when it finally came off. My arm was all puny and white, sort of looked like a chicken's leg.

Zoe doesn't have to wear a cast. She has a boot that goes up to her knee that can come off. She has injured the growth plate in her second toe on her right foot. There was a noticeable difference in the areas of her toes on the x-ray at the podiatrist's office. He said that if it doesn't heal properly her foot will have issue with growth as she gets bigger. All I can imagine is a very short stubby second toe when all of the others have grown longer the older she gets. She better keep that boot on.

Cathy and I are still great friends. No hard feelings.