One of my first memories of something being wrong. I was sitting on the front steps of the house and got up to walk around to the back of the house. As I walked on the stones set in the grass my hip hurt. This was probably in the 3rd grade.

The day we went to Dr. Walter Petersens office walking was very painful for me, so Mom picked me up by putting her arms around my chest and lifting. I was embarrassed and wondered if Mom was embarrassed that her 7-year-old son couldn't walk.

I was taken to Dr. Joe Petersen. He was loud and moved fast. He wasn't necessarily gentle. When he diagnosed what was wrong, he told me I would never be able to play contact sports. I remember walking out his back door to the office and walking down the hall to the parking lot. I was crying because my dreams of playing BYU football were dashed.

I remember getting my crutches. The first were metal and I didn't like them. We later changed to wood ones that I kept for the rest of the time I was on crutches. I was able to get around quickly on them. I could go fast enough to keep up with my friends at school. I learned to walk on them without putting either foot on the ground.

When I was baptized, I had to hop into the baptismal font down to Adin who was baptizing me and then I had to have help getting out of the font.

When family pictures were taken, I would stand behind people so it wouldn't show that I was holding up my leg.

At one point, Dr. Joe said that my hip was getting worse and that I would need to be put in the hospital for traction. I had to go into the hospital just days before Thanksgiving. That may have been 1987. I remember being checked in and that someone gave me a remote control car. The car was connected to the controller by a wire. I couldn't see the car but I would put it on the ground and just use the controls. I was in the hospital for a day or two and was released on Thanksgiving Day in time to eat Thanksgiving dinner at home.

After returning home I had to lay in bed for a few days and do traction at home by having cans placed in bags that were tied to my feet.

In August of 1988 we were in ST. George for Adin's Wedding. The pictures show me on crutches still. I would have been 10 then.

I don't remember when I was able to stop using crutches. I first had to use one to help support me while I started putting weight on my right foot. I was then able to get rid of them. I burned them in the fire pit in the back yard.

I have many memories of the time I had crutches, but I am not sure of the timeline. I remember we got the trampoline during that time. I watched as everyone was able to jump on it and I couldn't. I was allowed to jump on it if I was on it alone. I bounced on my knees instead of on my feet.

I remember watching a lot of things but not being able to participate. However, I also remember doing a lot of things I wasn't supposed to do with Mom and Dads permission. I was always grateful for that.