Lucky

By: Connor Lenahan

I got lucky. Really lucky.

Yesterday afternoon I narrowly missed disaster. I was running around the indoor track at our gym at Boston University as I will frequently do. While rounding a corner I stopped paying attention for just a second. That’s when things went wrong.

Due to a previous injury (hold onto this) my right leg is shorter than my left. My wheelchair is heightened for the right leg as it needs to reach the ground for me to use it as I feel most comfortable. This means my longer left leg will occasionally sweep too far beneath my chair.

This is what happened yesterday. I was rounding a corner and my foot got caught under the chair. It proceeded to project me out forward onto the track knee first. I caught myself a bit, but I smashed my knee into the concrete floor. The chair flipped over it’s front wheels. I was on the ground in shock.

I assessed my left knee only to find that everything was in it’s right spot. The skin where I had made contact with the ground hurt like hell, but this was expected. I had minor bumps on my elbows, but it was nowhere near concerning.

I started laughing while sitting on the ground of the track. Funny thing is that no one saw me fall. No one noticed me flip the chair back over and get back in. I didn’t mention it at all. I just quietly went home to rest. How I had just survived that in one piece was a mystery.

See, back in March of 2007 was the last time I fell out of my wheelchair. I shattered my right femur in the fall. It’s because of this break that my right leg is shorter and I permanently limp, if slightly.

I had deja vu to that injury. Having all the progress I have made in the past year wiped out. Again. I was crushed.

Then I felt my thigh. It was still a thigh. My shin still a shin. All the damage was a giant bruise on my leg.

I fell on the gap between my knee cap and my tibia. I missed bones by millimeters. I got lucky. I remain unbreakable.

A few lessons I have learned from this came to mind. One: I’m formally retiring from that track. Two: I’m not speeding anymore. Three: I’m not taking chances.

I was just given a free pass on what should have been my fifth broken femur. I’m not going to allow for anything to cause me to come close again.

I’m not breaking. If anything, I’m getting stronger. I took a straight shot to concrete and survived. What’s going to stop me now?

To whatever force decided to let me survive this one in one piece, I really owe you one.

Connor Lenahan (@ConnorLenahan) is a sophomore at Boston University, majoring in journalism.