Stressing Over Stress Fractures

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

02 Jun 2008 11:26 AM

I don't know if I'm accident prone lately or what... but it seems like I've been extra clumsy.

I was out walking my dogs Moose and Lally today. Since we don't have a yard, I try to take them out at least four or five times each day -- sometimes longer walks and sometimes just a quick piddle outside the patio.

We were on a longer walk around the apartment complex, and maybe two-thirds of the way home when I guess I just stepped wrong. I got a shooting pain up the outside of my right ankle, from the sole up to just above the ankle bone. It was bad enough that I froze, afraid to put weight back down on the foot.

I waited (stork-like) for the pain to subside, and then tried putting the foot down. Again, that shooting pain up the outside of my ankle. The dogs, meanwhile, were eager to keep going and started to tug. Thankfully, they listened when I asked them to "hold up" (my command for them to wait while we're walking -- I usually use it when I need to stop and pick up after them).

My mind immediately flashed to the worst possible thing. Did I have a stress fracture in my foot? Am I going to need to hit the emergency clinic or the nearest ER?

Gingerly, I rotated my ankle. I felt a little something go click, and tried to set my foot down. It still hurt, but not as mind-searingly bad as it had initially. I took a few cautious steps, and rotated my ankle again. Another click. This time, when I put weight on my foot, it felt normal. No pain. Thank goodness!

I'm REALLY glad that I just stepped wrong and twisted something, rather than all the problems my imagination created for me. But just in case... I'm going to go look up stress fractures anyway. I'll let you know what I find.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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