Cast Off & the Chacos

My first cast ever. I broke my right foot running after a volleyball during a game where I was serving and winning. Lucky for me, I always pick the winning team...:-) I'm definitely enthusiastic about playing volleyball, and my serving always brings in much-needed points, but my only claim to volleyball fame is playing in grade school. I live at the Isha Yoga ashram called III, and everyday at 4 pm we play volleyball. http://www.ishafoundation.org/

So, in running after a ball, I twisted my foot on some uneven ground and 'snap' - broke the foot. The peroneus brevis tendon on the outside part of the foot overstretched and something had to give. That 'give' was my 5th metatarsal bone, called an avulsion fracture. "Definition: An avulsion fracture of the fifth metatarsal, also called a "Pseudo-Jones fracture," is the most common type of fifth metatarsal fracture. The fifth metatarsal is the bone that runs from the midfoot to the base of small toe on the outside of the foot.
How does an avulsion fracture to the fifth metatarsal occur?
An avulsion fracture of the fifth metatarsal occurs where a tendon attaches to the bone at this point (the peroneus brevis tendon). When an avulsion fracture occurs, the tendon pulls off a tiny fragment of bone. These fractures are usually not badly out of place.
Avulsion fractures can be confused with other types of fractures to the fifth metatarsal bone. The most common problem is distinguishing this injury from a Jones fracture. The distinction is important, because treatment of these injuries is different."about.com
I was wearing my sturdy chacos sandals; safely playing volleyball, so I thought. But, I guess the big buckle on the side pressed into my foot exactly at the point where the bone broke. I thought these sandals were supposed to be the 'ultimate' in performance sports, but I guess not

The cast has been on for 4 weeks. First 10 days I thought I would lose my mind, feeling claustrophic, and uncomfortable in a tight casting over my foot and lower leg. I felt the hard cast pressing on my ankle bones and I thought I'd go nuts. All I kept thinking was, what if my foot swells, where will it go? The doc said some people just can't wear casts because it's too claustrophic for them. I settled with a circle-saw split down the middle, wrapped with an ace. Finally, after 4 weeks, the cast has become a part of me. But despite this closeness, I hope to get it cut off and replaced with a walking boot for the last 2 weeks for a  total of 6 weeks. At least I can take off the walking boot and wash my foot!