I have now lost one of my go-to Two Truths and Lie or Never Have I Ever claim because I have now fractured my nose. Granted, it’s a very small break, and no significant action was required; I still can’t in good conscience say that I have never broken a bone knowing that I technically have.

Now you may be asking, “Shelby, how on earth did you manage to break your nose.” It’s a little humorous really, because I played basketball for seven years, no injury larger than a jammed finger or a bruised knee. I then decide to play intramural basketball in college and get elbowed in the nose by my own teammate, causing it to fracture three games in.

Honestly, the initial hit wasn’t the worst part. I mean, it hurt that’s for sure, but I’ve been hit right in the nose before, and it faired pretty similarly to all the other times. The truly horrifying part was once I got back to my dorm and saw how crooked and swollen it looked. The real panic set in when I discovered it was bleeding a little. I began to accept that I was just going to have a horribly disfigured nose for the rest of my life, and that was worse than actually getting hit. I went to bed, hoping that magically it would be all better in the morning, but deep down, I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

The next day when I woke up, it still looked pretty bad, so my adventure began. The first stop was going to the campus health center, which resulted in them saying it was very likely broken, but they really couldn’t do anything. So I needed to go to urgent care or the ER and get X-rays done so I could get a referral to a nose doctor if needed. I was then doing my very best to keep it together because I had to be an adult and go to the doctor without my mommy which was traumatic enough, but I also try to find a way to get there since I do not have a car.

I decided, even though I was not a fan of this idea, that I was just going to have to walk, but luckily as I was leaving, I ran into my friend who was driving to get coffee, and she was able to take me there and come pick me up later.

The ER was graciously not busy, although I still felt kind of bad going because my life was not threatened, but also I did not know what else to do at this point. They got me in and out quickly, sending me off with X-rays to confirm that it was, a little broken, and a huge ice pack as big as my face that would be the only participant in my recovery besides the occasional ibuprofen. 

Not to toot my own horn (but also I am totting my own horn) but I went through all this and still managed to get to my 1:25 history class and my interview after that. Life of a college student, am I right? Anyways, thank you for coming to my pity party, I needed to complain a little more about this incident before I could fully move on. Now I believe it is all out of my system, and I will stop bringing up my fractured nose to all those around me, which I’m sure they are grateful for.