Crunch. My heart stopped beating. My legs gave out, my head fell back, and my body went limp. I fell to the ground oblivious to what had occurred. I lay on the cold surface of the arena, feeling relaxed; a serene experience that was cut short by an immense surge of pain. Regaining the feeling in my body, I grabbed my shoulder, attempted to regain my composure, and proceeded to tumble once more to the bone-chilling surface. My mind flashed back momentarily, and all I could see was the logo of the opposing team. My eyes began to blur. I thought I was dead. I faded, and I passed out.
“Excuse me”, said a strange man. Regaining consciousness, I remember being upset. I said to myself, “If this is heaven, it sure smells.” I was in a locker room only a few feet from where the incident occurred. My heart slowed, and I realized I was still alive. Searing pain rushed through my body with every breath I took. Silence. I passed out again. I woke to the roaring engine of the ambulance as we proceeded to the hospital. Suddenly, we began to slow, the doors of the vehicle opened, and the gurney was pulled out. As I rode through the double doors of the hospital, I remember a great deal of commotion. “We need to take X-rays”, said the physician. The extent of my injury was unknown and a sense of panic settled deep within my gut.
Hours passed. I was in the same bed, tired, in pain, and wanting to know my fate. The doctor entered and projected the X-rays. I am not a radiologist, but from what I saw, I did not look good. “Where do we start”, mumbled the doctor. “Your shoulder is separated, your clavicle is broken and your sternum is fractured.” It hit me. I was seriously hurt, but my view was not skewed. My first comment was about when I would be able to play hockey again. “8 weeks,” the medical professional said. My heart stopped again. My life was hockey, and I had to play as soon as possible.
The car ride home was long, painful, and left me contemplating life outside of sports. I thought about my preceding years of high school and college. What did I want to be? The epiphany I had that day has given me an extraordinary interest in sports medicine. Through my athletic experiences and crises such as this, I have developed a familiarity with medical professionals and an interest in the sciences. My name is Chris Darnell, and I want to be an Orthopedic Surgeon.