Well I dont recall any daisies whilst lying in the grass in the local park. I just recall the pain and kept playing over and over again that crack ...
It was bootcamp night. Sundays and Thursdays. Id missed 2 weeks - one day for twisting that weak ankle after wearing weenie heels for the day and the next day due to dodgy tum (I dont think it was food poisoning, more like a bug as too many people had food poisoning that week). Then there was Mauritius and I missed the Sunday and when I returned I found out that week was cancelled anyway as it was OFC's week off - I think they deserve it every 3 months, they must be exhausted! So 2 weeks out of the boot camp routine, only 2 weeks of the routine before then, I needed to get back into it, and seriously again.
8pm starts, Ramadan hours! I didnt drink enough early in the day, so I had a sports drink when I reached home at 4pm. I then sipped 1.5l of water for the next 2 hours to make sure I had enough water, otherwise I wouldnt perform. It was BFA night and I havent had one for a while - Ive got he records for the last 2 I did earlier in the year and I found them recently - I was focusing on beating all of those numbers tonight. I ate some beans salad at 5pm, energy enough for a boot camp session.
New sleeveless OFC tshirt - XL not 5 or 5xl! Big wristbands that I can move up to my elbows for when its plank time. Bring it on ...
So there we were, lots of new people. Uptown Mirdif Park. A sea of blue OFC tshirts and some other colours (they will be blue next week), I think more than 20 of us. As always, we didn't fall into rank fast enough, I still find that part amusing as I have no idea how we do get more organised. Just put me at the end, thats the best idea. Then we introduced ourselves, though now I cant remember many peoples names. I advised everyone that Zaid was a great PT trainer - he is, I wish I could afford to utilise his expertise more. Roll on pay day mid September.
So we did the running in rank across the grassy park, I purposely placed myself near to the front rather than at the back to ensure that I kept up and pushed myself more than before and I was ready for it. It was time to do this properly. As we turned to the left and the right I stepped carefully on the uneven grass to make sure that my weak and unbalanced right foot was secure. I did it, and we lined up for the next part of the warm up.
Star jumps. 30 of them. For the first time I found them easier than before, swinging my arms higher and faster made the jumping easier, and I only took a little jump on the grass to ensure that my weak right foot, again, was secure and strong. It held me and I did the star jumps. I was smiling inside. Yay!
Next, jogging on the spot, high knees! I struggled the first couple of steps just to get my knees up, I was getting into the rhythm in the first few steps, then in a plsit second, my weak right foot gave way and I went down hard on it, the outside of my ankle landed on the grass along with a loud crack. I fell down on one leg as I heard someone giggle, Im sure it wasnt as elegant a move as I recall, so I dont blame them. As the rest of me hit the grass, I felt the pain surge around my ankle, across my foot which is usually numb and up my shin. I didint know what to do with myself. I tried to breathe through the pain and relax but I just rolled about in pain grimacing away. Jim Carey would be impressed.
I couldnt talk, I could only breathe hard. I dont like pain. I dont do things that cause pain on purpose. I like a pain free existence. And here I was with a sports injury. The hilarity that statement brings me now. However at 815pm on Sunday, I lost my sense of humour. Someone tried to cool me down pouring cold water over my face and all I could do was wave them away - how rude - I apologise! One of my fellow bootcampers (someone please tell me his name as Ive forgotten, its all blanked out), held my right leg in the air and several people poured cold water on a towel and wrapped it around my ankle. Bless them and thank you Mr South Africa : ). I had tears by this point in time and all I could think about was poor Zaid who had to call me an ambulance and make sure everyone did their BFAs (thanks Zaid, and as I will say for a long time, sorry for the drama). As if bootcamp wasnt challenging enough! Another fellow bootcamper, MrS got my keys and brought my phones to me from my car - another thank you : ).
By the time the ambulance arrived, sirens and flashing lights - very embarrassing, and a first - I had called my dear friends who lived 1min away to got to my apartment and bring my purse with medical cards to Rashid Hospital. More tears when I spoke to them, Im an emotional person, you can only imagine how this is enhanced when Im in pain. And in shock.
The ambulance crew were great, the driver obviously thought I was an emergency by the way he drove. My high BP set of the alarms 3 times on the way, I answered lots of questions. We were laughing by the time we arrived. I was also sweating under the blanket. I hadnt even done enough exercise to work up a mild sweat. One shoe on and one shoe off (containing a damp sock, keys and 2 mobile phones), I was wheeled into the A&E dept. I felt very underdressed for the occasion, and got lots of stares. It must have been my OFC tshirt, Corey thats free advertising! I was checked in, moved to a wheelchair and tagged. Pretty blue to match my blue toenails - I was truly glad I had a recent Dubai mani and pedi special. Thats about the same as "wear clean underwear" that I was taught when I was younger, just in case... Well, I had on some new super supportive exercise knickers, specials from Decathlon in Mirdif City Centre, I felt confident : )
The Drs and Nurses were lovely, and all admired my toenails. I was able to move my toes and foot up and down, it didnt appear like a break. But was sent for an xray anyway. By this time my dear friends (husband and wife team) had tracked me down - they followed one of the coloured lines on the floor - loving that system, even I can follow that. There were tears when I saw them I dot know why, but I didnt care. It was still painful. The Dr was very proud to tell me the new system at the hospital was the same as the Uk. I told him the Uk systems and processes are not always the best (though in my family we have never had a complaint only compliments with the NHS). I recommended the Canadian system instead! However, the UK/Dubai system worked well, I was in and out of xray very fast, there was barely any waiting around to be done (male waiting area separate to females so I asked to be sat in the male section). The sights and sounds made me feel a pathetic fraud, I only have a damaged ankle, some of these people had major injuries. Mr friends was told to look away at one point by Mrs friend. I was in the wheelchair and wasnt really concentrating. I had an elastic support put on, the xrays showed "no obvious break" but I did tell him I only wanted good news. There was on soft tissue damage. Thank you god! Now I truly felt like a fraud. I was happy to get it checked, better safe than sorry. And it was THAT crack that got me worried, never mind the pain. Now I was scared to stand on it, I dont like pain remember.
I got escorted home, picked up at the A&E entrance that I drove past on a daily basis when in one of my previous jobs. Never planned on actually using it. Drove past my car, parked up in the park, picked up the company laptop! Picked up my Ibuprofen. Dropped off at home. Hobbled into my apartment, was easy to lean to the left and use the wall. I got home, took some meds and updated facebook - and there it was. A not so attractive of the pic I sent the lovely MrR in Beirut, of me in my OFC tshirt flashing my injured leg. Too funny! Gradually the pain was starting to truly kick in.
I didnt sleep very well, I couldnt get comfy, everytime I moved I woke up - uff! Oh well, it can only get better from here onwards. Still, another first - my first official sports injury - no more moves on the grass, its solid ground for me from now on.
On a final note, I actually think the crack was THE crack I needed from the last injury - when I fell out of the taxi with the numb paralysed leg after the vitamin D injection - the knee and hip clicked back (though perhaps there is more clicking to be done on the hip yet ....). I had only be explaining to LL the day before (whilst watching a dedicated footie game, another first) that I felt the right foot needed to be clicked back into place - in fact I think I said that word, "wish". Whoops a Daisy .....
whoops [wʊps]
interj
an exclamation of surprise, as when a person falls over, or of apology
