It's been a tough time in these four weeks that I've been at school. From the day I got there, January 13, till about January 25 or 26, I was doing great. I was calling Campus Safety only occasionally, and feeling better by the day. I was totally stoked and hopeful that maybe, just maybe, this would be a peaceful and healthy semester.
Sometime during the last week of January, though, my feet started hurting. Bad. I could feel that pain in the bones of my feet. More than that, though, the excruciating pain got up into my ankles. It was like the tendons (or ligaments or whatever) going up both sides of both my ankles were on strike. The most I could stand to walk was around the class buildings. Campus Safety had to take me everywhere. They should've been on speed dial. Another reason I needed them, though, was because it's been very, very cold and when I walk any distance in the cold, my asthma flares up so bad that my regular inhaler can't take care of it.
It was like this for two and a half weeks. Till yesterday. I got into one of the Campus Safety golf carts yesterday morning for the guy to take my to the dining hall, and he looked over at me and said, "Why are we still transporting you? We've all [the Campus Safety team] seen you walk. We're not here to transport physically able students." I felt like I was a little kid who got sent to the principal's office. I explained to him how long and arduous my recovery process is and that, yes, while I have walked some and I've been walking as much as I can, sometimes the pain is too great and I just can't do it. The most uncomfortable ride ever. But he said I wasn't "in trouble" so I just tried to shake it off. I hate being spoken to the way he was talking to me, like I was abusing their services or something.
My two classes yesterday are in the furthest class building from my dorm, so that's why I got a ride to the dining hall, because that's sort of the halfway point and that way, after I ate I didn't have as far to walk. I walked to class and took my two tests. (I got a 104 on my Statistics test!!!!) I was planning on walking at least part of the way back, but by the time I finished my Science test, my chest was hurting, so I had to get a ride back. Luckily, the guy who picked me up was one I know well and he's too big of a goofball to lecture me. (Maybe the explanation I gave the morning guy was enough?)
This morning, I got a ride to class because it was freezing outside and I knew I'd barely be able to breathe if I walked to class. I told the guy (a different guy than the two guys yesterday) about my asthma and that's why I called them. He looked at me like I was lying and said "I thought cold weather helps with that." All I said was "No, it doesn't" doing my best to keep my mouth shut and not be defensive or rude. I didn't call them for the rest of the day!!!! I don't know if I was being too easy on myself or if it was pressure to make the CS guys happy or what, but all I know is that now I can walk all the way to class by myself! And I don't have to worry about judgment from those CS guys or the people who've stared at me when I got in and out of the golf carts. For a self-conscious girl like me, that is very, very comforting.
So yeah, I had a big, big step forward as far as my feet healing goes today. :) Yay Friday!
Maybe your secondary word for 2011 is Outrun :)
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