Pain

Last Monday some buddies of mine and I were playing basketball and it got a little rough. We were playing speed, a game in which the players line up in single file and, using two basketballs, take turns shooting. You keep shooting until you make it or until the guy behind you makes it, in which case you're out. If you make it before he does, you go back to the end of the line and do it again until there's one person left. We always play this game and we were getting a little bored with it so some of the guys started making rules like, "Your first shot has to be with your off hand," or, "You have to bounce it of the wall on that spot then catch and shoot." So when it was my turn I decided for a no-look shot: "Your first shot is with your back facing the basket." I launched my first shot clear over the backboard. I went to retrieve it and when I turned around the next guys ball hit me square in the nose. My head shot back, sending waves of pain through my neck and I had that feeling you get when water goes up your nose. I had a dull headache for the rest of the night but I shook it off and continued playing. We then switched to 500. Someone had brought a wiffle bat and ball. We had a pitcher and a batter and the rest of us would try to catch the ball in as few bounces as possible, which was difficult since the ball had a mind of its own. On one pitch, the batter sent the ball speeding low straight at the pitcher. He put his hands down to catch it but it made a tight arc around his legs and continued, as if it had dodged him on purpose. I played pretty aggressively and skinned my knees and tore my pants and shirt. Then, after one high hit, my buddy, Scott and I went after the ball together. The floor in that room curves up at the walls and I jammed my foot into it. My toe hit the inside of my shoe causing the worst pain imaginable. I took my shoe off expecting my sock to be filled with blood. It wasn't, but my hands were shaking with the pain. I could tell the others didn't understand how much pain I was going through and I didn't try to explain it. I sat there a few minutes until it began to subside. I put my shoe back on and played again but the pain never went away. It still hasn't gone away. The toe is now infected and the nail is loose. It'll probably come off eventually. It's a constant pain with no relief. Surprisingly, I can sleep. But I know the pain is still there even when I'm snoozing. I should probably go to the doctor but I hate doing that. I've been wrapping the toe up in gauze with alchohol and triple-antibiotic oinment but it doesn't seem to be helping. It's making me irratible as well. Too bad for my family. Oh well, there could be worse things. It's hard to remember that I'm not a kid anymore.