Play Smart

I know it's Thursday, but I promise that I have a good excuse as to why I didn't post yesterday like I normally do.

I sprained my ankle pretty badly.

Let me go back to Monday night; I was playing a softball game and I was running to home plate from third and I had to slide, but the catcher blocked the plate so I slid right into her leg gear.

I'm not quite sure as to what exactly happened because it all happened so fast, but I think that I slid with my foot extended, so when I hit her leg, my ankle rolled over itself.

I never actually touched the plate though, so I flipped over to be on all fours and I touched the plate with my hand, but after that I took a minute of the field.

I couldn't get up because it hurt too bad, so I waiting a few minutes, took a few deep breathes and got up with the help of my coach and dad, then I hobbled off the field.

I iced it at the field, elevated it and all, but my mom ended up taking me to the Emergency Room not too long after.

I spent the majority of my evening in the Emergency Room, got X-rays, was told that it wasn't broken and that I can leave.

When I got home, I started icing it and doing everything I could to start the healing process.

I couldn't sleep well at all because I was in pain, so every night I wouldn't sleep much at all, only a few hours, therefore I spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday napping during the days.

I was exhausted by Wednesday, so I didn't have the energy to write and I was asleep for most of the day.

That's why I couldn't post on Wednesday, so my apologies that this is late.

With that story of how I got this injury, I want to go off a little bit more from my posts Injuries and Recoveries, and Being Conscious of Injuries.

In those posts, I wrote about how you shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed for whatever you need to recover from an injury or illness and you shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed of it because you know it's helping you heal; and also how you should know your limits and be concious of your pain level and movement.

I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to have physio tape on, an ankle brace and crutches, but I am worried.

I'm worried because I'm supposed to be going to the biggest softball tournament of the year in a week and a half from today.

I'm worried that I won't heal in time and that I either make it worse while playing or that I make it worse while playing in the tournament.

It's a hard situation where I'm in a time limit, but I know that healing is the priority.

When it comes to an injury where you have to be better pretty quickly, then there's only one thing you can do:

Hold back.

Don't do anything strenuous, don't try to jump into something to quickly and don't be afraid to sit something out.

I'm actually currently writing this from a laser tag place, I'm not playing, but I came here to be with the group I was coming with.

I hate not being able to play, but I know healing is the main priority and that I have to hold back on this.

I'm still with the group, I'm still having fun, but I know that I can't do everything that they are, and that's okay

I didn't feel like a loser while waiting for them, I don't feel as though I was wasting my time because I did enjoy myself even though I had limits that others didn't.

I knew that I had to be careful and take care of myself, so that's what I did.

There's absolutely no shame in taking care of yourself and backing out of activities.If anything, it says a lot about yourself and proves how much you will take your recovery into your own hands.


One More Girl, no longer online