143. Too Young

Sorry I’m late, my folks just got in from Florida.

I started my photos tonight trying to get a picture of how messed up my right foot is. Let’s just say that it’s not a pretty picture so I’ll put it at the end, stay tuned. Early in 2005 I was at the ski hill warming up for a day of races with the ski team. Early in the morning I got clipped by someone, and I fell hard. It was enough to make a couple of the guys on the team walk about half way up the hill to collect most of my gear. I didn’t feel any pain that day, just a bit of bruising on my ribcage and opposite hip where I bent my pole by rolling onto it. Like I said, it was a bad fall.

I woke up two days later barely able to move for the pain that was coursing through my entire body but emanating from my lower back. After two trips to two different ERs (one of which told me it was a muscle spasm in my leg, the other convinced me to go home so I didn’t get sick with all the flu patients in there) I went to my family doctor who diagnosed a pinched nerve in my lower back. It was a fairly substantial injury, so it had taken a couple days for the swelling to set in and actually cause problems.

After two months of physio (and a week ski trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire) I was on the mend, but would have permanent damage that I would have to contend with for the rest of my life. There is a spot on my thigh that has no feeling on the skin. I can get a pin prick and not feel it, but I can get kicked and really feel it. It’s a very odd feeling. It’s also weird when the feeling comes back slightly. Because of years of skiing, soccer and various other injuries I already had bad knees, add on the lack of arches and abundance of bunions my feet are horrible which throws everything off anyways. I currently have below average reflexes in my right knee, and no reflexes in my ankle. My left leg is fine. It kind of pisses me off.

I also have some weird tendon/nerve issues with my right foot. Every once in a while, with no rhyme or reason my little toe will decide that it doesn’t like the other ones, so it will stick out to the side. It hurts like hell. Like a charlie horse, but worse. It eventually (after 15 or 20 seconds usually) relaxes, but pulsates from side to side. It’s odd, and kind of creepy. Especially when it wakes me up from a deep sleep. When I try to curl my toes, my left foot is fine, but I can’t curl my right very far at all. it doesn’t hurt, it’s just physically impossible. Yay, permanent damage.

I wasn’t kidding. That is as far as I can curl the toes on my right foot, versus my left foot.

Take it from me kids, nerve damage is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. Ever.

-Cheers folks!