When I told the nurse and doctor at the emergency care center what happened, they looked at me strangely. The nurse even asked, “Are you sure you weren’t partying?” I explained to her that it was just another one of my “Lucy” moments. The only difference between this “Lucy” episode and my past episodes is that I actually got hurt this time. This recent accident resulted in nine stitches and a limp. It really would not have been that big of a deal, if I did not have book signings, speaking engagements, and extra dance practices scheduled the upcoming week.
So, how did I manage? As I write this I’m still wondering if I should even take the time to tell you how I cut up my foot. Yeah, I might as well. Somehow I feel you may trust my story more than the doctor. I’ll try to be as concise as I possibly can. My husband and I went to a dance performance. The show was great. It was well worth the late outing. I went to support my two friends pictured below. I teach with them at Halliday Dance. They are amazing dancers and brilliant choreographers who both gave an awesome performance!
Anthony Rhodes Takreeya Hawkins
I took the photos right after the show. I always have my camera on me. I believe a writer should always carry her camera. Actually, I believe all artists should always have their cameras ready. Inspiration can be found in every photo. Tony and Takreeya were kind enough to pose for me after dancing for hours! I adore them both.
Anyway, my husband and I were both very hungry after the show. I didn’t want to eat out, so I whipped something together at home. I washed the dishes and put a plate in the already full rack. That plate knocked another plate out of the rack. It fell, hit something on the way down, and shattered. A piece came down on the back of my left heel, slicing it like a knife. Just in case you are easily sickened by gory details, I won’t describe my injured foot. It was gross enough to make me feel faint. I felt like a woman in one of those old movies, hand on my forehead all dramatic. Unbelievable. You can just call me Scarlet. Really. It’s actually a more accurate nickname in this situation than Lucy now that I think about it because I automatically put my hand on my forehead on cue like I had rehearsed the gesture over and over again. Prior to this, if someone had asked me how I would react at the sight of blood gushing from my ankle, I would say it wouldn’t bother me at all. Sometimes we know ourselves a lot less than we think we do.
My husband came running over and looked down at my ankle. I felt more sorry for him than I did for myself when I saw his face. He froze for a second before he got something to stop the bleeding. I told him I was fine. I lied for his sake. I felt so badly for him because he felt so badly for me. I’m not sure if that makes any sense, but that’s how I felt at the time. His voice was very reassuring and he was calm, but his eyes were filled with overwhelming concern . I knew then that I would probably end up at the hospital. At the advice of my husband, daughter, sister, and brother-in-law, I went to the Urgency Care Unit in my neighborhood. Yes, it took that many people to convince me to go.
When I got there, I was shocked to learn that I had to have stitches. My husband said something like he needed me to be strong. I am laughing now because I was thinking, What in the world am I in for now? He knew because he has had stitches before. They gave me a needle in my foot–a few needles actually. I held my husband’s hand like a baby, expecting the worst. It wasn’t that bad actually. They stitched me up and I limped on out of there. Getting stitches is not the most horrible thing in the world. Just the idea of someone sewing a piece of your flesh back together is enough to trip you out a bit.
So did I make it to the book signings, extra practices, and speaking engagements? I sure did. I taught dance from a chair and sat during my other functions. In the next day or so, I will write a post about the book signing and speaking engagement with photos, of course : ) I met a lot of great folks last week when I was limping around. I even managed to limp down my mom’s. She cooked a great dinner for my husband and me, and it turned out to be a pretty wonderful Sunday after all.
Blessedly, I no longer walk with a limp. I still can’t dance, run, or do the MJ Wii Experience, but I am very grateful that I did not damage my Achilles tendon. What did I possibly learn from that accident? I learned to slow down, get plenty of rest, stay out of the kitchen at night, and keep my dish rack empty.
Shawn, I’m glad you’re doing better. I think it’s amazing that you still made it to all your events. It’s crazy that sometimes an accident like that is the only thing that makes us sit down! Feel better, and I hope you’re up dancing again soon!
Me, too, Susan! I will be attending a dance teacher’s conference in NY, and I really hope I don’t have to sit by the sidelines and take notes. Thank you for your comment and well wishes! Much love!!!