Sometimes you can’t get a break, and then you do

On my very first ultimate frisbee game of the year, I was playing what I considered to be easy. Unfortunately, when I see a disc within reach, those labrador instincts take over, and I start running with my tongue hanging out. I made some great catches and some good throws in my first game. I was feeling optimistic about the season. My hernia repair felt solid, and I felt like I was in the groove. And then of course the other shoe dropped. A low flying disc thrown to an opponent was within reach. I could tell this really fast college kid was going to dive and possibly catch it. So with me in full instinctive mode, I did a flying leap kick at the disc. I got the disc, but then with my knee locked, I hit the ground full force on my right heel. I was sure I broke something when I landed.

I hobbled off the pitch and the game continued. I went to the ER. 2 hours later the doctor viewed the X-ray films and relayed the information that I had damaged only soft tissue. Yeehaw! I thought. The doctor said to give it two weeks to heal. Two weeks later I am still hobbling. I can cycle with no pain, but even walking is still painful. So I went back to my family doctor this week. He played with my foot a bit and deduced that I had a torn: inferior peroneal retinaculum tendon. He says it usually takes six to eight weeks to heal from this injury. My brain immediately says, F#@k!!!! Can I just get back to my life already. But then I remembered that my broken foot allowed me to heal my ilio tibial tendon friction back a few years ago, and this is probably something similar for my inguinal hernia. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I have to take it easy.

I feel like a vat of jet fuel, I just want someone to either throw me in the tank and make me fly, or throw a match on me where I sit.