Bryan was very excited when we entered the Verizon store in Doylestown to purchase his new I-phone. I thought it odd that it was quite chilly out and he was wearing soft flip-flops with shorts. “Buddy, aren’t’ you cold?” I asked him. He said he was fine. “Let it go, mom”, I chastised myself under my breath.

He called me the next morning around 7 a.m. “Mom, I am calling you on my new phone!” he proudly exclaimed. “And, I am talking to you on MY new phone, too” I replied (yes, there was an upgrade deal we couldn’t resist!). And, then, he dropped the bombshell. “Mom, I’m not going to work today.” “Why not?” I demanded.

And then the story unfolded, laboriously explained through lots of stuttering due to his extreme upset. The gist of it? He fell while competing in the District Meet of Special Olympics at DeSalles University on Sunday. He went down while race walking alone on the cross country track and no one saw him. When he crossed the finish line, all the attention was on his unified partner, a sweet teen volunteer who had really motivated and improved his racewalking performance. She had passed out once the race was completed and all hands were on deck to bring her around.

Typical Bryan said nothing of the fall to either his coach or his roommate. They went phone hunting at the Lehigh Valley mall following the meet and had dinner there. Walking on the sore ankle the whole time. Not a word to anyone.

The first his roommate noticed a problem was observing the limp from the car to the Verizon store the next Monday evening. I texted him on Tuesday after talking with Bryan and hearing his “fall” story. The plan was to take him to urgent care at the end of the day Tuesday. Bryan said his foot was too sore to go to work.

Three urgent cares later, an X-ray was obtained and fracture ruled out. He was given a black boot with orders to wear it 24/7. After a visit to the orthopedist, a sprain was confirmed with a possible stress fracture. The boot remains a wardrobe staple for the next three weeks.

The foot is red, swollen and painful, but we’ve managed to convince Bryan that life must go on. He cannot skip work and watch movies all day, which he’d LOVE to do and did for the first few days. I’m hoping that the doctor’s instructions on how to wear the device has improved its comfort.

Meanwhile, he soldiers on, hopes dashed for competing at the Montgomery County Meet and Villanova State Games. I feel badly that he didn’t tell his coach, his roommate or us sooner so he could have gotten more immediate help. But that’s Bryan – quietly enduring the pain so that he doesn’t “disappoint” anyone or make them upset. To his own detriment.