Almost a Champion

One day at gymnastics practice I was doing giants on the bars when my hands slid off the bar and I landed flat on my face.

"Oh my, Paige, are you okay?" Coach Emily gasped.

I rolled over on my side groning clenching my teeth together from the pain I felt in my arm.

"Ya, I think I'll be fine." I replied.

But when I got up on the bars and did another giant, I fell straight to the ground.

There was about a three weeks until me and my team had to go to a big state meet, so I knew that this was a terrible time to get an injury!!

When I looked down I saw double vision of my arm that looked disfigured in a way. Then I heard Coach Emily say something again, but I couldn't quite make it out!

"Paige!"

"Paige!", "do you hear me?" She shouted.

"Yes", "sorry I blacked out for a moment!" I replied in a scratchy voice.

"I think we need to take her to the hospital!" She shouted to one of the assistant trainers.

The last thing I remember was laying on that chalk covered gym floor, then the darkness overtook my eyes.

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As I woke up I didn't quite remember what happened and I was confused where I was! Then I remembered the giant that I did and how it went all wrong.

"Hey Paige." Coach Emily said in a soft voice. She was sitting beside the hospital bed reading a magazine when she saw my eyes open.

"How are you feeling?" It took me awhile but I answered.

"Ok, well I have this terrible pain in my right arm!" I replied trying to hold in the tears.

"Ya, the doctor said that you had a break, dislocation, and other possible damage." She said with a sad expression on her face.

Knock! knock! "Can I come in?"

The doctor finally!!

"Paige, I'm Doctor Gram." The doctor said with a warming smile on her face.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Not so good." I replied, as the tears began to flow, because I still had a thought in the back of my mind: What about the state meet?!?! You may think that it was just a regular meet but this determined are careers! Coaches for all over will be there to see if they want to recruit us for their collage team!!...so I was nervous!

"I will do some tests and well get you out of here in no time!"

"Ok" I replied kinda relieved.

"First I want you to wiggle your toes."

So I wiggles my toes just fine. She had me do some other things like bend my knee ect. just to make sure nothing else was hurt. But then when she came to my arm, my heart sunk.

"Can you lift your arm for me sweetie?"

As I tried the pain went a way and a tingling sensation overtook my arm.

"What's happening?! I can't feel my arm?"

Doctor Gram called in her team in said that they'll have to take me into the intensive care immediately!

She said that it will be alright but as they were wheeling my bed out of the room she looked doubtful.

I asked "What's going on, what's ?happening to my arm!!" I was beginning to go into panic and confusion.

"We'll darling, it looks like your arm has lost sensation and is dying at the moment." "I'm so sorry!"

Right as she said that my heart dropped another 10 feet to the pit of my stomach. The tears came and I didn't know what to do, I was utterly helpless.

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They wheeled me in to the urgent care and I took one big look at the place and didn't like it. Tubes, beeping and flashing equipment, needles,ect! I've been here before but have never had this bad of an injury that could change my career. I was depressed and heartbroken.

By this time my mother had come to the emergency room and was holding my hand by my bedside. My father had died 2 years ago when a drunk driver hit him and his car was flipped. So my mom has always been my company.

When Doctor Gram came back into to room she had a very worried look on her face and so did my mom.

"What's wrong with my daughters arm doctor?" My mother said very worried.

"Well," Doctor Gram syed.

"I am so sorry this had to happen to you Paige. No girls your age should have to go through this, but I have to tell you this sooner then later....".She paused a pause that I would never forget. It seemed as if she couldn't make out the words. I looked over at my mom whose face was stricken with suspense. Then she finally spoke and said, "....We are going to have to amputate your arm. I'm so sorry! I can't tell you how sorry I am!"

I looked at her for a moment and then looked at my arm. "No no no no o no no no NO NO NO NO!!!!!! This can't happen to me! Why me! NO!" I was balling tears by now clenching the arm that I couldn't feel and was about to loose. My mom was crying too and never left my side.

"I know that you just got the news sweetie, but it's best that we don't wait any longer for the procedure."

I forced my head to nod even though I didn't want to, so they wheeled me into the procedure room to start the operation.

"First we'll need you to take of your clothes and put on these scrubes." An assistant doctor named Katrina said.

This also was another thing to make me feel so sad. Because I was still in my favorite leotard from practice, and that thought popped back into my head; what about the state meet, gymnastics, MY CARRER!! I was so sad and felt so hopeless!

Katrina helped me into my scrubs because I had a hard time changing with one numb arm. They layed me down again and gave me a few shots and medicine. I began to see darkness and my mother that was staring into my eyes became distant and the medicine put me to sleep.

"The operation can begin."

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