Ouch.

So. Hi there. How have you been surviving without regular updates from moi? Yes, I have finally emerged from my blog-writing rut. Truth is, I have been very busy lately, and just haven't been getting 'round to doing it. I know it doesn't really justify not doing homework (time-management and all that), but with any of my extra time, I have been completing my research project. Anyway, blog entries are meant to have a point, and this time, I actually have one...sort of.

Well, let me tell you what happened today. Like every Saturday in winter, I play netball in the mornings. This year, I have a game in the afternoon, too. I thought today was going to be great. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, we weren't even going to be late. Last week, we had to play in the 'storm of the decade', so I was looking forward to a game out of the pouring rain.
But no.
Great would not be the word I could use to describe my netball experience this fine morning.
Painful. Embarrassing. Shameful. You see, today I suffered my first netball injury.

Thinking about in now, I guess I'm lucky to say that this is my first. Yes I've had blisters and scrapes, and been a tad sore from being pushed over, but last year, my friend got her wrist broken! (So much for a non-contact sport.) I suppose you're wondering what happened?
It's not that exciting, I'm sorry, but here goes.

It was second quarter. I was Goal Keep. I was warmed up. I was getting into it. I had decided to really use my height; jump for everything, and stick to my partner like glue. I leaned in a far as I dared as the GS went in for shots. I timed my jump in the hope I'd knock the ball from it's path to the hoop. I am usually deaf to calls from the sideline, but I heard our manager call, 'That's that way, Eve!', and it felt good.
I was jumping, and running, and thinking I could be doing worse, when it all went wrong.
I Goal Shoot went for the shot. She missed, and I leaped up into the air to grab it. What goes up, must come down. Personally, I came down on the side of my right ankle.
Crack. Collapse. Holding on to the netball post to stay upright.

Okay, I'm being dramatic. It's not broken, just sprained. But it hurt, all right? And my legs did buckle. Our team manager was there in a flash, ripping of my front and back bibs and quickly getting another girl on the court. My mum was there for me to lean on, and my little brother offered his services, even though his shoulder is equal with my waist. I hobbled over to St. John's, managing not to cry for half the way.

Once there, a nice lady helped me to a bed, and placed an ice pack on it. She said to just call out if it got to cold. It was, but I didn't say anything. I figured it had to be good for me. After about ten minutes, she told me that a 'new member' was going to be taking a look. The said new member turned out be a boy about my age, who looked about as uncomfortable as I did. The lady instructed him to take off my other shoe. As well as my sock. Talk about adding insult to injury. Literally.

It was swollen and red, but not too bad, so I limped back over to the courts. I managed to see that last minute of the game, and observed that everyone was rather frantic. We had been up when I had been taken off. Afterwards, everyone agreed not to mention the third quarter (apparently we had lost it by a bit) and informed me that we had drew. Then, to our pleasant surprise, the ref told us that we had actually won, 16-15!
And, the team we were meant to be playing at the local centre had defaulted, so I didn't have to feel guilty about missing the game.

All is well that ends well, I think it goes. Except for the fact that I have a sore ankle, and the fear that it will temporarily stop me running. Oh well, I might as well continue with my recovery (lying around on the couch).