As I walked into the office, one of my recruiters said to me "..Oh, stop running. Guess who got a week 5 medical hold?"
Hm! What an interesting question! My mind quickly fished around for an answer, in which I could not come up with one. So I randomly named the most recent recruit who just left for boot camp, not taking into consideration that she was only in maybe her 2nd week, if that.
My recruiter said, "No. L****(name withheld, of course). She got a week 5 medical hold for stress fractures from running. So stop running!"
And to that I replied, "Oh, I stopped running about a month ago. And she got a fracture because she never ran period." Shaaaaaaaaaade.
And to that comment the entire office, full of DEPpers who knew who and what I was talking about, laughed.
Okay, let me explain. This "L" person (Who will now be referred to as Elle) was the DEP-CO before me and she's also the messy person who tried to pull me down with her that I blogged about months ago. She's the snake that introduced me to Navy mess that I really didn't need to know about that put me in awkward positions and, ultimately, had me suffering from heartburn and feelings of anxiousness. She loooooved to start shit and copped attitudes with everyone, especially with me. It was like she had a personal vendetta against me.. Which I would have LOVED to see her young ass attempt to carry out against me, lol. But the recruiters created a monster when they appointed her as the DEP-CO.
All I could do was pray for her to leave for boot camp soon and that once she got there she would get what was coming to her.
And boy did she!
Now, I can't gloat or brag because I am in danger of suffering the same fate, but isn't Karma a bad bitch?! Like, daaaaaamn. I knew boot camp would straighten her out and apparently it is!
You see, a stress fracture is from running too hard, too much, too soon. The muscles on the shin bone are VERY thin and almost nonexistent. So when they get sore, like all muscles do when you work them, they develop sharp pains called "splints" as they deteriorate, like what I had/ have.
But when you keep running on a hurt shin, those thin muscle disintegrate and the shock that the muscles would have normally absorbed are now transferred to the shin bone. And bones are not designed to absorb shock. Especially not the repetitive shock from running. So, the shin bones develop tiny breaks called, you guessed it, fractures!
And that is when and how a shin splint evolves into a stress fracture. Yes, your bone has a crack in it. Its not broken in 2, but that shit still hurts nonetheless. And your ass should have stopped running looooong ago if you actually make it to this point..
But with the constant running and working out they put you through in boot camp, it is no wonder Little Miss Elle got a fracture. Actually, shin splints and stress fractures don't necessarily occur to those who have correctly arched feet and are used to running.
Now, I'm not sure about Elle's arches, but I DO know the heffa never ran a day before in her life!
Weeeell.. That ain't exactly true. She did run, but very little. She was lazy and spoiled and used to the recruiters cutting her slack. So all she did was absorb the knowledge we as DEPpers are supposed to know before we leave for boot camp. That's part of the reason why Elle became the DEP-CO, because she knew a lot. But that is also where her and I differed. She was the Brain, and by "brain" I mean she had book sense and nothing else, and I was the Brawn. I was not the skinniest DEPper by far, but out of ALL the females and some of the guys I was the best runner and most fit. I always came in first before all the other females and half of the guys. And lets not forget that I was the oldest DEPper at 23 at the time too. And I occasionally smoked Newports, lol.
Elle came in last. Always. She may have ran about a good quarter of a mile before her ass had to stop before she passed out. It wasn't like she was fat or smoked, she just couldn't run worth a shit! Not. At. All. And yet she was all about starting shit and being sneaky..
Well, my dear, the mighty have fallen. And apparently they fell due to a stress fracture. HA!
Oh, and for those of you who don't know, when you get a medical hold the Navy moves you from your assigned "group" or division that you are going through boot camp with into a building with all the other broke/reject Future Sailors. Yep, it's called Ship 17(I think. It could be Ship 6) and I hear it's horrible there. That's where they group all the boot camp misfits: the runaways,
the violent ones, 
the pregnant girls, 
the mentally ill ones, 
the fat ones who can't pass their physical fitness tests, 
those who fail their drug tests, 
and the kids with medical problems. Some are trying to be discharged, some want to stay, and some are waiting on their papers to be processed. Either way, you do not want to end up there. They fight; they steal; they do it all.I shudder to think about it. It is like the jail of Navy boot camp. And I do not want to end up there. So this is why I MUST get my shit together beforehand and why I'm kinda glad she went to boot camp before me in my place. I have learned from her mistakes, both physically and socially. It's all about the Golden Rule, ya know?
~Sailor Taylor
