#70: Watch a Wound Heal

After an epic save in my play-off soccer game, a teammate who was covering the net for me stepped on my ring finger. CRUNCH! Immediately, the blood rushed to the finger, swelling it so bad that it barely fit in my goalie glove. On the ride home from the game (that was sadly lost in a shootout), the finger throbbed and a fiery red. Unfortunately, it was also crooked and, I eventually found out, broken.

It's only because I lived for 7 months with the bare minimum white blood cell count that I have any idea what role they play in the human immune system. The nurse warned me when I went into chemo treatment that my cuts and scrapes wouldn't heal as quickly and I may bruise more easily. Upon further research, I discovered that white blood cells are the first responders to a site of inflammation, and what help the body fight off infection.

I had to be incredibly cautious. My boyfriend's mom wouldn't even let me empty the dishwasher for fear that an upside-down knife might puncture my fragile hands.

Not anymore! The night after my game, I watched in awe as my finger continued to swell. I can't say I'm thrilled that my finger is broken, but I'm damn happy my body is strong enough to respond how it's meant to.

That's the thing about being healthy - you're allowed to get broken!