A simple task of helping to bring in groceries led to me breaking my ankle in three spots. The break surgery. The story doesn’t end there. It is only the beginning as I am now back in school and using a knee scooter to get to my classes. 

The pain continues to play in my mind. It was the worst pain I had ever felt. I felt the bones snap and break and I heard it as well. I screamed in pain when it happened and then my grandma rushed me to the emergency room.

After the initial wait, I had to get X-ray and then a few days later a follow up CT scan which revealed a triple break. I had surgery a week later. 

A bone break is one of if not the most painful things that can physically happen to someone.

I suffered a Trimalleolar Fracture which is one of the most painful breaks for ankles and requires surgery. To top it off, I will be in a cast for 6 weeks and then a boot for the duration of two to three months of therapy. 

Having seen students in the hallways on crutches and even scooters, I never fully understood the navigational issues they were experiencing. I do know. Yes, teachers let me leave early to get a head start to my next class, but this can only go so far. Because my classes are scattered around the building, I am faced with using the elevator (and those of you who know the school’s elevator should sympathize) four times a day. Once I am safely in the classroom, I have to navigate around desks and other obstacles. By the time I am seated, I am exhausted. Not to mention random spikes of pain in my ankle throughout the day.

Recovery is hard but it gets easier for me as the weeks go on. I am ready to get my boot and start therapy. It will be hard and walking will be hard as my muscles will have atrophied by the time I start walking again but I know I can do it.

187 out of 100,000 people break their ankles every year approximately. 56% of fractures are women while the other 44% are men.