The injury thread

[Calavera]

Let's use this thread to talk about the times that made us go "ouch."
It can be minor, like a paper-cut, or it can be as severe as a broken bone or the pain of a C-section.

Allow me to get this thread started...

I am an active person, I love to feel my heart pounding and my muscles burning. So, naturally, one of my favorite pastimes is to take my bike out for a spin. Yesterday afternoon, I went out for my regular recreational ride and had a little mishap.

The area I live in is rather hilly, so I have a lot of steep inclines to conquer. Now, as I was going down one of those hills I noticed one of those little yappy dogs right in my path. I swerved and, fortunately, I missed the dog. Unfortunately, I did not miss a pothole.

I was pretty much catapulted over the handlebars and if I had done it on purpose, it would have looked so cool. So, after my launch from my bike, I roll down the hill and get a few shards of glass in my arm from a broken beer bottle on my way down. After I finally came to a stop, my bike comes down after me and lands on my left leg.

Now, what did stupid do? Stupid continued her ride instead of getting home and putting some ice on the leg, which ultimately made it worse.

The bike made it out okay, save for a few scratches and dents, and I got off pretty okay as well. The worst I got was a few cuts on the arm, a scrape here or there, and a temporary pimp walk.


Now, give me your stories.

[Pickles]

I guess I'll start by sharing an "injured while clowning" tale.

I was face-painting at a corporate picnic in rural Kentucky. The kids dared me to ride the mechanical bull, and, of course, I didn't wanna look like a weenie-clown! Besides, it looked so easy on "Urban Cowboy!"

Well, I lasted all of 6 seconds before I was tossed like a rag doll. Ouch! My butt ached for a week or two, but, other than that, I sustained no injuries -- other than a bruised ego.

[Calavera]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Well, I lasted all of 6 seconds before I was tossed like a rag doll. Ouch! My butt ached for a week or two, but, other than that, I sustained no injuries -- other than a bruised ego.

But you're a lady, they're supposed to slow it down when a lady gets on! Though I guess it would have been a little awkward for a clown to do sexy poses on the bull...

[azzy]

Ok, fine I'll play. When I was a of a pre-teenish age I used to like to do tricks on my bike, like everyone else around. Well, I could ride when standing on the bike, and I could ride without hands. So... of course I should be able to ride while standing on the bike without hands.

Nope, fell down and broke my finger. Surgery & pins and all. Silly me.

My only other major injury came from horseplay on a hammock. Just remember, keep horses OUT of hammocks!

[Snugglesnort]

So I have been going to Tae-Kwon-Do lessons while here in Korea, four days a week for an hour. I am a red belt in it, and hopefully this fall I will get my black belt here. Anyways the only injuries I have had at Tae-Kwon-Do in the last two and a half months is from... playing indoor soccer... with a light bouncy ball. The first time I cut my toe when my foot met someone else's heel, and the second time we were just kicking the ball around and I slightly pulled a thigh muscle. The pain was with me for a month before it completely went away. (it would be doing good, and then I would play soccer again!)

We do play barefoot, and playing soccer with a bunch of Taekwondo trained korean kids in a twenty by forty foot room can get pretty exicting.

I just think it is funny that I have sustained more injury from soccer than martial arts.

[Miss Petunia]

As a 30 year-old woman, I now look back on the scars on my skin and the memories flood back.

My first emergency room was from catching my middle finger on my left hand in a car door when I was 8 years old and in third grade. I recieved 4 stitches. I remember how my classmates fought over who would help me change my bandaid.

I have a little check mark scar on my right ring finger from fighting with my big brother over a pair of scissors. I unfortunately had the business end. This scar reminds me to pick your battles and think before you grab.

I had surgery to lengthen my left calf muscle when I was a sophmore in high school. It took many months for the incision to heal due to allergic reactions and infections. I now have a pretty nasty scar. But there is more to life than pretty legs. My calf muscles are slightly asymetrical. I remember one day when I was on crutches, my arm was pinched between the door and my wooden crutch because a fellow student didn't look behind him and catch the door in time. I am reminded to be considerate of others.

Both of my children were born by C-section, and that is a scar I do not regret in the least. My son was 2 weeks over due and weighed 10 lbs. 7 ounces. Because of modren medicine I was able to have a healthy baby! the day I came home from the hospital after my daughter was born, we were watching a Christian comedy DVD and I had to turn it off because it hurt to laugh. That was the worst I love to laugh and for a week or two, I couldn't without pain.

I also had 4 stitches in NYC, and 5 stitches on my thumb while pregnant with TJ. I have a scar from a gouge I got on a bed frame while chasing a toddler.

Scars and pain aren't necessarily a bad thing, they are what makes us unique and makes us, us.

Carrie

[Calavera]

Wow....thanks, Carrie. I dare say that your contribution was inspirational. Thanks for sharing that, I mean it.

[Chance Marmalade]

When I was 14 living in San Francisco me and my friend were being stupid. The houses in SF are so close together (Sometimes less than 6 inches) that you can jump from one house to another with ease. You might see where this is going!

So me and my friends are roof hopping for the fun of it and we are running full speed and for some reason, I wasn't thinking and I stepped on a skylight.

CRASH!

My leg went through the skylight and my body followed. I fell a full story onto a flight of concrete stairs and rolled head over heels all the way down and according to my friend, lay their unconscious. I remember the entire fall though the concrete stair part is a little fuzzy. I just remember watching the hand railing go in and out of my vision until finally I stopped in a heap at the bottom and laid there.

After a moment I stood up and took inventory. I could stand. My ribs felt bruised but nothing was broken from what I could tell. I was inside a little porchway near a gate that lead out to the street. I let myself out and in a moment there were several people running to see what happened. I didn't want to get in trouble so I made haste but some of them called after me "Are you ok!? Do you need to go to the hospital? Your neck is bleeding!" I checked the back of my neck and sure enough there was blood.

I went home quickly which was just around the corner and called my mom. She came home and checked me over and I hadn't broken anything. The cut on the back of my neck was minor but we scheduled a doctors visit anyway. I was fine. Though I had an irrational fear for weeks that the ceiling was going to fall in on me. Luckily it never did.

[azzy]

Well, Chance, I guess your injuries were minor, but I'm not sure anyone could top that story! Amazing(ly cool).

btw, any of your junior's out there, don't do what Chance Marmalade does.

[tim]

And, thus, the exciting career of a stuntman was born!