What had happened was...

Life can change in a second. One minute, you're on top of the world. The next you're at the bottom of a large boulder wondering what's going to happen to you. This is literally what happened to me over 3 years ago, not long after publishing Identity. 

It all started one fateful day in September of 2017 when I went hiking with a group of friends on Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. We made it to the top with no issues. It was great. We sat on the top for a while, enjoying the view while trying to hide from the flies. (Swams of flies. It was gross.) 

We had just started to descend and I was walking down a very large boulder when my foot slipped and I began sliding down the boulder. Seconds later my foot hit a raised edge on the rock and I heard and felt a snap. I knew I was in trouble but was also a little in denial and promptly jumped to my feet and attempted to hurry back down the mountain. (Ridiculous.) I took about 10 steps before I was forced to accept the reality. A little bit of fear and panic entered into me but I tried to push that aside. It wouldn't get me back down the mountain.

My friends helped me "walk" until we met up with a park ranger who offered the use of crutches. I've used crutches before and thought that was a great idea! Right up until I tried it, that is. That was probably the most terrifying thing I've done in my life; trying to use crutches on this terrible, rocky, uneven mountain. I was sure I was going to lose my balance and fall headlong down the trail. So I used the crutches when it seemed reasonable to do so but ditched them for the trickier areas. I would not have made it back down the mountain without my friends. Seriously, I'd be writing this blog from up there somehow. Ha.

Partway down the mountain, just before sunset, we met up with another ranger who was able to splint my ankle. This helped tremendously! It was still super painful but I was able to walk better. One of my friends was so impressed with its effectiveness, when he got home he ordered some online to keep in his hiking pack. When they were delivered, he called me and said, "Your splints arrived!" ... Thanks. 😑

I was not prepared for being on the mountain at night. (I learned from this and now carry a full pack every time I hike, no matter how short I think it will be.) Thankfully, a couple of my friends and the park rangers had extra headlamps. The rangers also supplied our group with more drinks as not everyone brought enough water to last 8 hours on the mountain. (It took us 6 hours to get down.) I kept asking one of my friends what our altitude was because I wanted to know how much further but he refused to tell me. He just kept telling me we were fine. Truth was we were barely moving and he didn't want me to lose heart. (I'm very thankful for that. I think I would have fell into despair knowing we barely moved over the course of an hour. Ha.)

Eventually we made it back to our cars. I had driven myself (everyone else was from NY or another part of CT) so one of my friends drove my car back to my house. We won't discuss my ER visit with the most disinterested ER doctor I've ever met in my life. He didn't even offer me a splint or crutches! Made me feel like I was crazy for seeking medical attention. Knowing what I know now, I would not have bothered with the ER, I would have just made an emergency appointment with an ankle specialist. But that's not what happened. 

The next day, I couldn't even reach my arm out to grab a cup of coffee. Every muscle in my body was screaming and every move was agonizing. Thankfully, one of my local friends gave me a pair of crutches to use, since I didn't get any from the unprofessional ER doctor. I figured I just had a really terrible sprain and it would get better in a few weeks. (Actually I had torn ligaments, tendons, bone contusions and cartilage damage and loss, but I wouldn't know this until over a month later when someone finally ordered an MRI. Ugh.) 

Anyway, flash forward 3 years and I've been to 6 specialists, had 2 surgeries, and over a year of physical therapy as well as pain management involving nerve blocks and I still have pretty moderate to severe pain that no one can adequately explain. It's been challenging and at times I feared I would never be able to hike again. If you follow me on social media, you will see I am in fact hiking again. (Yay!) I just push through the pain. I'm going to have it anyway so why let it stop me? Some days, when it's particularly bad, it does hold me back but those are few.

My point to all this: 

APRIL DID NOT RUN THROUGH THE WOODS WITH A FRACTURED ANKLE!!

I couldn't help thinking about the story I had just written, Identity, and how the main character suffers a fractured ankle but still somehow manages to run from her pursuer. Perhaps if I was being chased by a serial killer, maybe I wouldn't notice the ankle but I'm on the fence. Maybe she's just tougher than me. I don't know. It's just pretty remarkable that she got away and survived is all I'm saying. Ha.

Well, I hope you were entertained by this little trip down memory lane. Till next time. :)