Cru Jones Society

 

Upon waking up after I fell asleep on the couch in my own hotel room, and Limon telling me so, I knew that I had to power through. There are often times in our lives when despite feeling like complete vomit, we power through. In Vegas there was pride and fun at stake. In this tale, there are hockey tickets.

Two months after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I was still getting used to living with it. This meant trying to figure out the right pill combination, and consuming that cocktail like I’m in an old folk’s home. I still hadn’t gotten it right as I was having a flare up. My digestive tract was all sorts of wack-a-doo. So I had the joy that is trying to deal with that.

In my attempt to get better and get things under control I was forced to take a steroid. I had a love hate relationship with the steroids. On one hand they calmed down the U.C. and I could function more normally. On the hand I could tell they were doing damage to other parts of my body. I could really feel their damage being done in my legs. The muscles hurt, and not that good hurt like when you exercise a muscle that you hadn’t exercised in a while, the hurt was definitely one of lasting damage being done.

This was going on as things were starting to get hectic and busy at my craptacular retail job. And the combination of steroids, stress from the flare up, and stress from work was taking its toll on my body and it all culminated when my knee cap popped out of place. The whole thing took a quick slide to the left. I actually recall feeling bone slide against bone. This happened twice before, but more than a decade earlier. I never really did anything about it as it always popped right back into place and I was just sore for a few days.

When it happened this time I was with a co-worker and she helped me hobble back to the manager’s office. I lucked out as my cool manager was working. No one else was around he told me we were going to do it up as worker’s comp. I just had to say I stepped on a wet part of the floor and slipped. This meant I didn’t have to pay any medical bills for it, and after the whopper I had just gotten for a colonoscopy, I was all for this. But this also meant I had to head on up to the emergency room. Just the way I wanted to spend my Friday night. And if you’re thinking at least I got out of work, nope this happened at the end of my shift.

I did get my co-worker and friend out of working for the evening as my manager wouldn’t let me drive myself to the E.R. We went there and proceeded to play the waiting game along with the “I wonder what’s wrong with them” game. Finally I get to go back. They ask the usual questions and I get to keep telling different people what happened. Then an x-ray technician took me back and I was shot with radiation. I didn’t develop super powers, but on the bright side I didn’t have a break or muscle tear or anything. I was then given a leg brace, some ibuprofen, and sent on my way.

One of the draw backs about worker’s comp was that I had to attend physical therapy. So after spending the weekend hobbling up and down the stairs, what a great time to have a basement bedroom, I got to see another doctor and set up a therapy schedule. With my work schedule I had to choose therapy times that were ass early in the morning, or at least times that I once considered ass early. The times seem reasonable now that I’m up by 6 everyday.

So now I have a screwed up knee and my U.C. is still flaring up. So my stress level was just increased, and as I learned, the digestive tract is a key player in the immune system. With mine all jacked up at the moment I was a prime candidate to get sick. And sure enough I won that election.

I woke up on my fourth day of being sick, and I had hockey tickets for that night. This was my second game of the season and part of my Christmas present from my mom. She had gotten me the family four-pack to three different games. The plan was to go with my mom and two really good friends who love hockey. I did not want to miss this.

I had physical therapy that morning. I got up at 7 and managed to drag my self there. I suffered through the exercises and was really quiet and surly towards my rehabber and I was tired of the stories from the regulars. Finally I was done. I raced home and put into motion the plan I made during therapy. I chased several Advil down with a big glass of orange juice, then downed some Nyquil and went into a small coma until I had to get ready for the game.

Since there were three us going to three different games, we were taking turns doing the hour drive from Fort Collins. Thank god this first one wasn’t mine. I sat in the back and tried to muster up more enthusiasm.

When we picked up my mom she took one look at me and asked what was wrong because I looked like hell. I said I wasn’t feeling great, but it was hockey time. We went to dinner at the espn Zone where I could barley eat, which I guess was alright since I got some of the worst onion rings to ever exist. And I really didn’t feel like beer, which was upsetting because beer and hockey go together like lamb and tuna fish. Then my mom so kindly picked up the check, she is swell.

We got to the arena, and after a quick stop to the bathroom, I felt those onion rings were coming back up, luckily they weren’t. I still did not want any beer, so I just saved my self a small fortune. The game played and I sat there oh so very quietly, and so very happy the tickets included a free soda. Sprite had never tasted so good (without whiskey).

The Avalanche won, and I did not vomit. We call that a double success. On the way back to the car I found 43 dollars on the ground. To tally up, the tickets were a gift so I didn’t spend anything on them; my mom picked up dinner; I wasn’t drinking so I saved a lot of money there; then I found 43 dollars. I did pay for parking, but I still came out ahead after this game.

I then treated my friends to ice cream as I got more Sprite for our trek back to the Fort. During which the excitement wore off, as well as the Nyquil, Advil and U.C. pills and I began to wish for death. Finally we got home and I hit the bed and slept for a day.

Maybe I should have stayed home. I could have stayed bundled up in my bed and watch the game from there. But it’s not my style to give up hockey tickets. Besides, I got to see my mom and hang out with my good friends. And I’m still here today, so my choice couldn’t have been that bad. When there is something I deem important at hand, then I will power through the crap and party on.

And if you care my knee is back to normal, the cold is gone, and my U.C. is under control.

See ya in the E.R….

lee.s.hart@crujonessociety.com