"Trip" to McPherson

Ben and I took 2 days off of work at the end of last week to drive out to Kansas for homecoming at McPherson College and our 10-year college reunion. We headed out early Thursday morning and pulled into his brother Pete's driveway 13 hours later. It was a nice,uneventful drive. DT played his Leapster in the back seat while Ben and I took in large quantities of caffeinated beverages to stay awake.

We stayed at Pete's for 3 nights and got to see their baby girl for the first time, who's now 6 months old. What a beautiful and easy-tempermented baby! Her 2-year old brother was pretty cute too.

Unfortunately, before any of the homecoming festivities began, I wound up in the ER. Pete took us on a tour of his work place and their gym across the street. He pressed the pedestrian crosswalk button and as I stepped off the curb, I twisted my right ankle and fell to pavement. It HURT! I tried to get up on my own, but couldn't bear weight on that foot. Pete went to get the car, and Ben drove me back to the house (after stopping at Java John's for the tastiest, richest, praline hot chocolate of my life).

Here's what my ankle looked at that point, within half hour of my fall.














At the house, Ben and DT assessed my pain and the outward appearance of my ankle. The swelling to the outer ankle looked like a baseball was stuffed under my skin. Ben suggested taking me to the ER. I resisted. It was a sprained ankle. What could be done for that? He called and they too suggested I come in.

They took x-rays and said it didn't look like a fracture, but that I should have it re-x-rayed when I return home after 10 days if the swelling isn't down or if it's still painful. They sent me out in a wheelchair, with an air cast and pain pills. Pete and Sara had crutches that I could use, but standing and walking was horribly painful.

And here's what it looks like now, 3 days later. It's puffy, discolored, itchy, and seriously painful!