Getting Over the Fear of Breaking Bones

My family is very adventurous. We do many things from mountain biking to kayaking. I love to do all the adventurous activities. The feeling of going on a tough rapid or flying down a difficult bike trail fills me with adrenaline. Back in December of 2024 when I was 14 years old, we decided to travel out to Alabama to a popular cave called “Tumbling Rock”. I had done the same cave before in even worse conditions. That day in December was quite sunny, and we made our way into the cave, hoping to make it back out before sun set. Once in the cave, the world goes black. Walking deeper into the cave reminds me of a quote “Only those who have known darkness can truly appreciate light” (Victor Hugo). Walking through the darkness really proved to me the beautiful life in the light I have.

The cave that we were in is known to have beautiful landmarks such as the Christmas Tree and the King’s Shower. As we entered the cave we walked past the saltpeter mines which were used in the war of 1812 and the civil war to do things like Gunpowder Production, Meat Curing, Preservation and Medicinal Applications. One of my favorite things about caves are the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. As you walk around the cave stalactites and stalagmites cover the ceilings and walls. As we made our way further into the cave we passed through the King’s Shower. The King’s Shower is a massive underground waterfall found within the cave. It is the tallest underground waterfall in Alabama, with a drop of 400 feet! You can access it by crawling up a super tight passageway into the main area. We went during the winter so there was not as much water as there would be in other times of the year. Once you enter through the hole you make your way to the bottom of the waterfall.

As we made our way further into the cave, we came across the Christmas tree which is found about three-quarters of a mile into the cave. It's a stalagmite that stands about 10 to 12 feet tall and is famous for its green hue. The green on the tree is due to a layer of algae surrounding it. For years, cavers would leave their lights on to photograph it. The artificial light introduced to the pitch-black cave allowed photosynthetic algae to grow on the surface of the tall rock. This is where we decided to turn around, due to it being located about three-quarters of a mile into the cave and because after the tree the trail gets a lot more difficult. We took a break and had a quick lunch and then made our way back. In the cave the ground is slippery due to the rainwater constantly seeping through the ceiling and the humid air, keeping the rocks perpetually wet. This moisture mixes clay and smooth stone to make a surface that is super slippery. On the way back, a little past the Saltpeter’s, about 1,000 feet from the entrance I let my guard down and was not paying any attention to the wet floors. As I was walking, my feet slipped out from underneath me and I fell on my left side. I was surprised because it didn’t hurt that much probable due to the shock, but when I tried to stand up I was not able to. After lots of difficulty my dad lifted me up and helped me out of the cave and into the car. After the painful 2 hour drive home my dad carried me into my house. At first my parents thought that it was just bruised but in the morning it still hurt really bad so we went to the doctor. I took multiple x-rays, then waited in the waiting room for the results. When they came back with the results, we were completely shocked by what they found. The doctor let us know that I had fractured my left hip and that I needed surgery right away. We quickly made our way to the hospital and went to the emergency room. Afterwards the doctors let us know that we wouldn’t be having surgery until the next day due to a child with a traumatic injury coming in and needing surgery. So they took me to my room to stay the night. The hospital I went to was very nice and new compared to some of the other ones I’ve been to due to me having problems such as asthma, many bad allergies including Anaphylactic allergies, macular cone dystrophy, color blindness, and many more. Throughout the night, nurses came in and checked my vitals. The next morning, I started my surgery and after about 2 hours and 15 minutes, I was wheeled back into my room. It took awhile to wake up but when I did, I just slept most of the day. After about 3 days of living at the hospital, I started to walk again. One of the main struggles was to keep my left foot strait because of the three titanium screws in my hip. So I had to try my best to keep my left foot straight or it would learn to stay sideways. To this day my left foot sticks out to the left a little, but it could have been worse. I stood up from my hospital bed and started using crutches to make my way around. It was like learning to learn to walk all over again. After a while, I was finally able to leave the hospital and go home. When I arrived, my family greeted me warmly, and I settled onto the couch, where I would be spending most of my time for the next few months. After a few days of using crutches to get around, I began experiencing pain in my arm, so we went back to the doctor to get an X-ray just to be safe. The results showed that I had broken my radius at the same time I broke my hip, and we didn’t realize! They put a large cast on my arm and told me I couldn’t use crutches anymore. Fortunately, my friend had a wheelchair they weren’t using and let me borrow it. I loved using the wheelchair—it was fun to go fast. But I was nervous because my bones could have broken at any moment. The doctor also let us know that I had been diagnosed with very severe osteoporosis. I was worried so I decided to take steps toward improving my bone health.

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Diet is very important because dairy products and vegetables are crucial for bone health. Here is a short list of foods that can help and that you should look out for:

1. Dairy products: Milk, cheese, and yogurt provide calcium, the main mineral in bones.
2. Leafy green vegetables: Kale, spinach, and collard greens are rich in calcium and vitamin K, which support strong bones.

As I mentioned earlier, I am allergic to many things, and as we age, allergies can either go away entirely or we can develop new ones. In my case, I have been losing allergies as I get older. I’m currently 16 years old, and I’ve outgrown many of them. I started off being allergic to peanuts, pumpkin, wheat, dairy, nuts, seafood, and tree nuts. Now, I am only allergic to peanuts and pumpkins! During this time, I had a food challenge for dairy. My mom and I went in for the test. It was difficult to get there because of the wheelchair, but the outcome was incredible! I had outgrown dairy! This opened up a world of possibilities for me. Everything lined up perfectly, because after the test we immediately went to the store and bought a bunch of dairy products like the ones shown above. It’s good for your bones to eat dairy products every day, whether it’s yogurt or cereal. Another important step in supporting bone health is taking calcium‑infused pills. Every morning, I take a pill that contains calcium and zinc to support my bones and immune system. (The pill shown above is the one I take; we get it from Costco.)

These dietary choices are all crucial for maintaining strong, healthy bones.

Aside from maintaining a healthy diet, there are other ways to improve bone health. Exercise is also important. There are many ways to approach this step, but for me, my parents and I decided to buy our own weight set for our home. Then we set up a schedule to help me improve my strength. Every day after I get home from school, I have a snack and then practice piano. After piano, I start my workout. The day of the week determines which workout I do. Half the days are leg days, and the other half are arm days. On leg day, I start by doing 20 push-ups, then move to a plank. For the plank, I try to hold it for as long as I can. With each workout, it’s important to remember that a break could happen at any moment, so I must be careful. After the plank, I do a 3‑minute wall sit, which is very challenging. Afterwards, I move on to box jumps. For the box jumps, I jump up and down on the box 40 times, which strengthens my bones due to the pressure. On arm days, I start by lifting weights and then repeat the push-ups and planks. These workouts help immensely, but you must remember that the amount of workout depends on the person.

And lastly, it is important to stay entertained! Throughout this whole experience, I have made sure that while I am homebound, I spend time doing many art projects and fun activities. Whether it’s painting or working with clay, staying creative is both enjoyable and helpful.

The surgery happened on New Year’s Day at the start of 2025, and now it is 2026 and I have improved a lot. We should have seen this coming due to the multiple breaks I had in the past, and I ended up missing an entire quarter of school, so I had a lot of work to catch up on. However, we must not dwell on the past, but instead look to the future for improvement.