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It was 6:00 p.m. and I had been studying for a few hours to prepare for a test the next day in accounting, and it was time for a break. After walking around idly, getting a drink, and clearing my mind, I headed for the stairs. My study area was in the basement where it was private and quiet. However, my wife distracted me and I lost my balance as I turned; my foot slipped off the top step. Time felt as though it had instantly slowed, and I was airborne. Instinctively, my right arm went up to protect my head and face as I fell backward, and my other arm reached out to stop the rapid descent; but, there was nothing but air to hold. We kept a table for storing boots and shoes at the small entrance by the stairs, and my right side went …show more content…

When asked if I could stand up, I didn’t hesitate. They helped me up the stairs to the kitchen where they did their tests. My wrist was badly swelled, the fingers were definitely fractured, but there was no hint at hip or leg damage at that point. When they attempted to get me ready for an ambulance ride, I refused. They were baffled; however, they could not force me to go with them, so they asked me to sign the release form and they left. Why, you might ask, did I refuse hospital care after such a terrible fall? Wasn’t I worried that there might be more serious injuries? What if I was bleeding internally? What if I fractured my hip or leg? Some people might think it was a foolish decision. For me, it was more about getting back up and pushing through the difficult times. It would have been very easy to use the fall as an excuse to stay home, go the hospital, miss the test, ask for a re-write, and nobody would question it. I was, in fact, badly injured. In my mind, though, I was considering the impact of not pushing forward. I got back up. Even though I needed help, I got back up. And I wrote that test. That was, perhaps, the most difficult time as I struggled to arrive early for classes, not miss any work, and deal with being in constant pain each day. Even now, after a month has passed, I am still in pain. What I learned about myself, however, is that I have the strength and the will to

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