College on Crutches. It Ain’t Easy.

April 9, 2009     Posted in Reality

crutches-walking-withYou know how some kids daydream about breaking their arm? I was one of them. Honestly, I didn’t want to break anything. I just wanted a neon green cast for a couple weeks to show off while my friends signed things like “get well soon” on my healing wrist. Looking back at my elementary school self, the thought of having a cast almost seemed like fun. The reality of this, though, really is everything but fun. I’m 21 years old now, and my eight year old dream has finally come true.


By Charlsie

Little over a week ago, I missed one step down a flight of stairs (the last one, too) on the way to my boyfriend’s university’s annual Fancy Dress formal, which sent my favorite pair of Steve Maddens into an untimely death (my right heel split) as I sprained my ankle and broke my fifth metatarsal on my right foot. Screaming and crying as this occurred, I did what anyone else would have done (not!) – I put my torn heel back on my right foot, stopped my mascara from running, dusted my dress off, picked a few pieces of gravel out of my palms, and grabbed my boyfriend’s hand, letting him know I was still game to dance.

He protested, but I was on a mission to dance and enjoy the night. Nothing could have stopped me. So, we did just dance. We danced for hours, and it hurt like hell, but that was not going to stop me from twisting, turning, dipping, grinding, and all that good stuff. After having one of the best nights from this semester, the two of us called it a night, which is when reality hit in the form of red, black, purple, and blue bruises around my right foot and ankle.

Following a trip to the ER, six x-rays, and one doctor that wasn’t too eager to answer questions, I was sitting in a sticky vinyl wheelchair realizing that I broke my foot and sprained my ankle. Most people have a tendency to be accident prone (especially when alcohol is involved), but, damn, I really did it this time. A double whammy!

With a week of crutches under my belt, a soft cast and now an air-cast (picked by a super creepy orthopedic doctor over an actual hard, plaster cast), I can attest that college is not a place for crutches, casts, or broken bones of any kind. Every day activities have proved beyond difficult, from opening the door to the bathroom (which I swear weighs a ton) to getting a tray in the dining hall (I have to fully rely on my best friend to get my dinner for me). When I think of college, I think of independence, which I am sure I have lost in the last week and a half because now I have to rely on everyone around me for help.

Never had to rock crutches or a cast in school? Straight up, it sucks! If I am not going up and down the two flights of stairs in my residence hall (there is no elevator, and I live on the third floor), I am lying in bed with my foot elevated (still in pain – I have had a bit of difficulty with pain killers working effectively).

Walking to class used to take a minute or two, now I have to leave 20 minutes prior in hopes to get there on time. And the worst of it all (in my opinion) is the inability to shower. Although I have an aircast on (which I can take off during a shower), I still can’t maneuver around by myself well enough to make it to the shower or stand alone. So, now I have to wait until Thursdays for my boyfriend to come pick me up (I can’t drive anymore since it’s my right foot), so I can bathe like the rest of society.

Frustrating is the only word that comes to mind when describing this situation to other people. While I am blessed to have friends that go out of their way to help me and an amazing boyfriend that can be patient in taking care of me, I have to admit, my spirit is a bit down because I know I am in store for a lot of patience testing moments within the next six weeks. However, I know my broken foot and ankle needs to heal, so at least this torment of only wearing Soffe shorts and smelling like I haven’t bathed in days (and I haven’t) is worth it.

Although I will have my cast for the rest of the semester, it won’t even be off in time for my own formal or end of year parties that are coming up, I have to confess – I had the best time the night this happened. It seems stupid, foolish even, but knowing that was the last time I will have fun like that for awhile makes it even more worth it. I’d rather have that one crazy night of dancing on a broken foot instead of just going home and never dancing on it at the ball, after all. Call me crazy, but knowing that I had such a fabulous time makes up for the times I’ll be missing in the coming weeks.

Ok, so I know I can’t be alone in this. Who has broken something since being in college? Tell me. How did you survive? What was the hardest part? I want to hear everything about your stories.

24 Comments on "College on Crutches. It Ain’t Easy."

  1. Brianna says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20099:00 am 

    Last weekend, I did almost the exact same thing..change "down the stairs" to "up" and you have my story..After a friend's fraternity formal, I fell UP the stairs and broke my foot. For some reason, I decided to turn down pain killers and now I have only one thing to say…broken bones suck, and crutches suck more.

  2. Brittney says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20099:15 am 

    When I had my orientation before my freshman year, I did something weird to my left foot to the point that I couldn't put any pressure on it. I was either in a wheelchair or on crutches the whole time. My school is very hilly, and the roads/pavement are pretty crappy, so it was a huge pain. I was lucky enough to have people who would push me on my wheelchair, hold doors open for me … one RA even carried me in his arms down a huge flight of stairs while it was raining (how romantic, right?). If it had been just a normal school day, though, I probably would've been really screwed.

    I hope you heal quickly!

  3. Leese says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20099:25 am 

    I had surgery on my ankle last semester and the worst part of it was the major pain killers I was on meant I couldn't drive. My mom actually drove me to classes. So embarrassing!

  4. Charlsie - Hollins U says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 200910:17 am 

    I am glad I am not alone. I think it's safe to say, crutches are miserable, right?

  5. Sam says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20091:23 pm 

    I haven’t broken anything, but I have a nerve disease that causes me to have to use crutches a lot; so I feel your pain! It does suck, so bad. I have to get surgery soon and I’m planning it for the summer when I don’t have to worry about class.

  6. Amy says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20092:48 pm 

    My roommate tore something in her knee and had to withdraw from a dance class, making her part time so she might lose her scholarship. And she keeps having to prove to police that she really is hurt because they don't believe her disabled parking permit is real.

  7. Matthew says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20092:59 pm 

    I did the break thing in elementary school and it was very forgettable luckily. I just broke my toe playing soccer and I didnt let that stop me, i played soccer with it still and had to get the foot recast.

  8. beth says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20096:05 pm 

    Aw Charlsie, I'm sorry! I know that sucks… been there done that. Be glad it's not a hard cast though, those things make your skin shrivel up and die like you wore a band-aid way too long. eew.

  9. Tori says:
    Thu, 9th Apr 20099:04 pm 

    I broke my fifth metatarsal in my left foot 5 weeks ago. i get my plaster cast off next week. i'm in college and i have such a hard time motivating myself to get through school days. everything is such a hassle. it gets better though. shows you what/who is important :)

  10. Lucy says:
    Fri, 10th Apr 20099:03 am 

    Charlsie, I just wanted to comment that this article is much less..bitchy than your others. Keep the happiness in your articles, we like it a lot more :)

  11. Jess says:
    Fri, 10th Apr 200911:03 am 

    I agree! Good article!! :) Thanks

  12. The Closer says:
    Fri, 10th Apr 200911:24 am 

    The annoying thing is once you graduate you still have to show up at work (crutched or no crutches) to chase a pay check:

    http://iloveclosing.com/2009/04/10/why-i-won%e2%8…

    Cheers

    The Closer

  13. Daniel says:
    Sun, 12th Apr 20091:28 pm 

    I did exactly the same thing, threw a St. Patricks Day party at my house and fell down the stairs, shattering my ankle. Had to get permanent pins and plates put in, I'm in this cast for 3 more weeks, missing the end of year Trinity Ball. Oh lord its annoying as hell. I also kept dancing and had one of the best nights of my life. I think theres a lesson in there somewhere, in between my broken 3rd and 4th metatarsal.

  14. Kate says:
    Tue, 5th May 20095:45 pm 

    Ugh this hits home hard! I fell down the stairs in my apartment at the end of march. thinking it was nothing I went to the mall, which was where i was heading anyway and walked on a broken foot for four days before my friend and mother forced me to go to the doctor.

    So I know exactly how sucky it is to get around on crutches, the first time being in a cast and waiting on people to give me a ride here or get food for me.

    I also hate the no shower thing. Luckily for me though I get my cast off this coming monday. finally!!

  15. Alluv says:
    Sun, 10th May 200912:03 am 

    I broke my wrist my junior year of high school during swim season, and event though I only got to swim the first 4 meets and didn't have crutches, I did write with that hand. Things that were simple had become way more tedious. That season, my times looked promising for finals until the incident, and I actually got my cast off the week before finals, ao I got to swim in it, but not practicing for 4-6 weeks really hurt my times. I've always wondered what my times would have been if I hadn't broken my wrist and kept swimming regularly. They were less than 2 seconds from going to state before the injury… :(

    So in conclusion….I feel your pain.

  16. Stephanie says:
    Thu, 27th Aug 20093:23 pm 

    OMG I know exactly what you went through, I'm goin through it now! It's awful :( I broke my foot in 3 places last month in July. Iv'e been a cast and on crutches for 5 weekes now, and I still have at least 3 more weeks to go. I'm moving down to school this weekend into my apartment which is on the second floor (no elvator) and I start classes Monday. :( I don't know how I am goin to do it. I have to take a shuttle to class because my apartment isn't on main campus and I know the steps are going to be giant like a school bus. I also realized that most of my classes are on the 3rd floor and there is no elevator! I thought a college was required to have buildings that are handicap accessible! lol ughhh this is going to be a long semester. And I agree,,showering is the hardest. But i don't even have a removable cast. So much for partying when I go back.FML

  17. Deanna says:
    Wed, 28th Oct 20093:14 am 

    It's freaky how similar this story is to mine. Some guy at a party tripped me in my favorite pair of heels. Grade 2-3 sprain on my ankle, can't put any weight on it at all. I live in my boyfriends house but he's an EMT so showering has been damn near impossible with all his hours. His bedroom and the shower are on the second floor with a spiral staircase, the kitchen, my clothes, and the rest of the house are downstairs. I can't drive because its my right ankle as well, and the painkillers do nothing except make me tired as hell when I take them. I'm honestly mad my ankle isnt broken because ligament tears take about as long to heal except no one cares and everyone thinks you're just being whiney. Ughhh.

  18. JonSmyth says:
    Fri, 6th Nov 20099:07 am 

    http://www.sidekickscrutches.com

  19. dontme says:
    Fri, 13th Apr 20122:41 pm 

    i was doing some type of sport and someone kicked me in my knee cap witch hurt and i had to stay sitting down or i have to use crutches to get every where i couldnt shower without my mom or dad so i pretty muched learned my lesson for bruised knee cap

  20. rebecca says:
    Fri, 13th Apr 20122:47 pm 

    im in elementary school but when someone kicked my knee cap i kept on doing it with them until the very end but this was the scary part the x ray was painful

  21. rebecca says:
    Fri, 13th Apr 20122:49 pm 

    but ill be saying something to you guys and girls the doctor said it was a bruise bone whats the matter and he said i could scoot myself around or use crouches

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