High pain tolerance? I call it "insanity"

I started my internship at Utah Valley Magazine today, and it went really well, considering it's my first day at a new job in a new city. I'm basically just transcribing an interview for Jeanette. It's important work, albeit terribly boring and tedious. But I guess that's the life of an intern.

The really crazy thing was the phone call I got after work. My friend Ryan had a doctor's appointment to check on his leg ... OK, it's time for a little back story:

Last Wednesday, Ryan and his friends were playing Ultimate Frisbee for the championship (have you seen the RM? Ryan from Rigby ... likes to play Frisbee!) and it was a really intense game. They were up by two with just a few seconds left in the game and Ryan jumped to block a pass that would have been a touchdown for the other team. As his feet left the ground, he says, he heard a pop. Not when he landed — when he jumped.

He iced it and took some ibuprofen, but he walked on it for days and it didn't discolor or swell enough to worry about. We went to Lagoon and rode roller coasters last Saturday. He just thought he'd better get it checked today to make sure it was all right before he leaves on a 25-day excursion to the east coast. The doctor said it was probably just a sprain but did an X-ray just in case. And you'll never guess what they found:



Yep. It's a compound fracture. He broke it in two places. It looks like it's about a quarter inch from slipping and sticking out of his skin. Gross.

He blamed his lack of previous concern on a "high pain tolerance," and that's just not human. But he's going into surgery in the morning, and I was extra careful during my Ultimate Frisbee game tonight — which we won. It's good to know things always work out.