A lesson in wearing shinguards

[start_today 770]

I recently started playing pickup ball hockey at an outdoor rink near my house for something to do. Growing up, I never wore any protective equipment when playing outside, because I knew I could skate, my friends could skate, and I was young and would heal. So now, however many years later, I still don't wear anything because I like not rolling with a bunch of stuff, and I like that "light" feeling of not wearing shinguards.

I've found the people I play with are the type of guys who are super competive (keeping track of personal point totals in pick up hockey???) combined with not being very good.

I was moving to play a loose ball, and some guy who can't skate just cruises right through me from behind, and I land with all of my weight on my left knee. It wasn't intentional, he's just not that good. It hurts, but no biggie, I keep playing. Scabs/scars look cool.

Three weeks later my knee suddenly swells up really bad, and I can't walk on it. After trips to the ER and orthopedic surgeon, I find there's no ligament or joint damage, but I probably have developed bursitis in that knee, plus it got infected with what may have been mrsa (the infection is going away, so if it was mrsa, it was caught and treated early). I go back in a few days to figure out exactly what's wrong, because they can't start any treatment until the infection is all gone.

So, I've missed a bunch of games already, and will continue to miss more, because I wanted to be a badass and not wear shinguards. ugh.

[ndlancer95 0]

Man, that sucks. did you know the guy that hit you?

[IniNew 53]

I am pleased to see no serious blame placed on the other skater. Althogh he could have been a tad bit more cautious.

[K9 Unit 1]

i kinda got that in basketball...i went for a rebound someone pushed me down, and some fat guy (200+ pounds) landed squarely on my left knee...tore (?) a meniscus and they THINK there might be a hairline fracture...took me a month to heal and maybe an extra month before it felt good enough to run in...but i think because they never really figured out what it was i still feel some of the effects today (i'm only 18!)...so you know just be careful with it, make sure it heals properly

[uclahockey707 1]

My friend went through the exact same thing except he was big on not wearing a cup, and lets just he figured out pretty quickly that was a bad idea. These guys in the "pickup" leagues go a little nuts sometimes. Sorry to hear about the knee, hope all heals well man

[RecLeagueHero 0]

I've played missing various peices of equipment at different times, but no cup=no play. I remember a guy forgetting his once, decided to stuff a pair of shocks in his compression shorts. Let's just say when you take a stick to the balls socks are not an acceptable subsitute for molded plastic.

[Rocketking 0]

I too had a skin infection on my leg that I am fairly certain came from my shinguards.

About 2 days after I played, I began to feel sick and I had just developed these red splotches on my leg. So I go the the doc, they look at the red are and immediate give me a shot of antibacterial med and some pills. Go back a wee\k later, still feeling like a had a flue-type thing, and the rd areas are larger now.

So the doc comes back and tells me I'm getting THE (whatever) big antibacterial drug and if this doesn't work then you kay have to go the hospital and get on some intravenous stuff.

Bottom line - the shot and more pills worked. A week after that I was skating again.

But if it was MRSA that I had then I have to think that I got off easy. That stuff is NASTY.

We need to keep our eqt clean, well as best as we can.